


Growl

by A_to_B_and_C



Series: EXOVERSE [17]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Baekhyun also is the hapkido king he is, Baekhyun is an illegal racer at night, Baekhyun is so lost for Chanyeol since page... ten?, Bottom Chanyeol, Chanyeol studies astronomy, Eventual Happy Ending, M/M, Some Smut Scenes, again Top Baekhyun, and owns a minimart, how they met is still a mystery (ask Jondae)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:27:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 40,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24373510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_to_B_and_C/pseuds/A_to_B_and_C
Summary: What happens when the smartass driver Baekhyun continuously ends up coming across the fluffy Astronomy student Chanyeol?
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol
Series: EXOVERSE [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1658077
Comments: 12
Kudos: 43





	Growl

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! Back again with a new fic as always a part of EXOVERSE.  
> And since "Growl" is an important song for EXO, it will have two fics instead of one! I'll post them separately because they are two totally different plots, unrelated to each other.  
> Hope you will enjoy it!
> 
> PS: Listen to "Candy" a lot! <3

That night seemed to be equal to all the other nights that came before.  
Baekhyun got to the designed place with his azure Nissan Skyline as per every time.  
The place this time was an old garage place, almost empty if not for the people who, like him, started to gather around to race as well or to support the racers.  
He turned off the engine, exiting the car and meeting Jongin’s stare, one of his fellow racers.  
Kim Jongin was like… Baekhyun’s pupil.  
Baekhyun introduced him to races and Jongin was raising every race better and better, much for Baekhyun’s proud.  
Jongin had platinum blonde hair and hazelnut-colored eyes.  
Baekhyun didn’t exactly know what he did during his daytime, but he knew that it was somehow related to dance.  
“Yo, B, nice knowing that you are racing too tonight” he stated rising his hand for a high five.  
Baekhyun high-fived him and smirked shortly.  
“You will see only my stops tonight” he replied cockily and Jongin shook his head, smirking too.  
It was years already since the first time Baekhyun and Jongin raced a track together.  
They were almost friend already, apart on the tracks.  
“Did you change again your hair color?” Jongin asked him, gesturing with his head toward Baekhyun who nodded shortly, messing his now pink hair.  
He wouldn’t stay pink too much, though.  
In the previous track an idiot tried to underestimate him and his car just because pink is a girl’s color and you drive like a girl.  
Baekhyun never won with more lead than that time.  
“Next one will be fire red” he stated and Jongin chuckled shaking his head and, in that moment, they both heard a known sound.  
“Oh, see who’s coming” Baekhyun stated nodding toward an electric green Corolla incoming from the entrance of the parking.  
Jongin nodded too, turning toward the car and whistling.  
“He made some changes, though. Look at those spoilers” Jongin whispered and Baekhyun didn’t need him to point it out.  
Those spoilers were so expensive that maybe with one or two races Baekhyun could buy only one of them.  
“Did you find a sponsor, Zhang?” he hollered to the Chinese man that exited the Corolla and he waived at them, smiling, deep dimples showing on his cheeks.  
Zhang Yixing was a man of thousand resources.  
He always had a nice idea and creative way of driving.  
Baekhyun always spoke with him if he needed an innovative way to see things on his way of driving.  
Yixing had black hair and black eyes and he was slender but powerful.  
Always trained in martial arts and sometimes he and Baekhyun met outside races, on mixed fighting tournament.  
Because even if Baekhyun loved racing and most of his income came from it, he also had two regular works during day time: owner and shopkeeper of a small mini-mart and part-time hapkido teacher, things that gave him access to some underground martial tournaments too.  
“B! Such a long time since our last race together!” he stated nearing them and Baekhyun clapped another high five with him.  
“Nice to see you around again. I heard that you wouldn’t race for all the rest of the year” he whispered worried but Yixing shook his head.  
“Not at all. I can’t stay away from races, B. Just a small intervention to my knee but nothing serious or nothing that can prevent me to drive again” he replied and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“Glad to have you around, then” he concluded and Yixing smiled at him.  
“Nice shade of pink there, by the way. Are you up to a different kind of ride later?” he proposed Baekhyun who chuckled shortly, shaking his head.  
“You propose me every time but there’s no way you can win against me, Zhang” he replied and indeed every time they raced one against the other, Yixing tried to convince Baekhyun to spend the night with him.  
But Baekhyun, for how much he admired Yixing and his physical appearance, didn’t kind of like the idea of getting laid with him.  
Especially because Yixing was so sure to win against him and Baekhyun’s competitive self wouldn’t let himself lose.  
And because Yixing thought that he could top with Baekhyun, but he was oh so wrong.  
“Maybe this time?” Yixing tried again but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“Not this time. I came just for the money but I have a place to be right after it, sorry” he concluded and Yixing wanted to object something, but from the other end of the parking came the yellow taxi car that was the organizer of the races.  
“Ladies and gentlemen welcome to tonight’s track. The rules are always the same. Start point will be the roof, arrival will be our usual spot in Gangnam” Minseok shouted from the megaphone and Jongin nodded briefly.  
Kim Minseok, or also called by everyone in the races Xiumin, was the rich man that sponsored and organized all those races.  
Petite in height, but strong and powerful as few Baekhyun knew, Minseok was the idol of all the racers.  
“Tonight’s first prize is… ten-thousand dollars! Almost eleven million won! Are you ready?” he asked and Baekhyun inhaled deeply.  
He needed that prize.  
Because his Skyline needed some changes and some repairments.  
He pushed it to its very limits, but he didn’t know for how many races he could keep it up.  
And he wasn’t willing to change his car anytime soon.  
That Skyline was his first car, the one and only car he was fine in driving over his own limits.  
The only one he knew he could push and push over the edge.  
He sat inside, inserting the keys inside the ignition lock and closing his eyes briefly.  
“We need to win this one, baby” he whispered, hand caressing the steering wheel and starting the engine.  
The sound that came from it, immediately tranquilized him and he smiled softly, driving until his place at the start line.  
He felt the rush running through his veins, fixing the stance of his feet on the pedals, gripping harder the gearshift.  
Baekhyun loved that sensation.  
Those few moments that preceded the start of a race.  
The calm before the tempest.  
And when he saw the green light, he was already on it.  
Baekhyun didn’t even need to check where the others were because he knew that he still was the fastest driver around and his Skyline was still on top.  
He left the parking in few seconds, streets passing by, avoiding other non-racing cars and traffic lights as it was nothing.  
He was so focused on everything that he almost forgot about needing to stop at Gangnam instead of going directly to his deposit, under his house.  
Baekhyun arrived first with a good lead on Yixing and Jongin that arrived almost together.  
Baekhyun parked on the minus one of the parking where they always used to gather and Minseok was already there.  
“B, I don’t know why I expected no one else but you” he stated and Baekhyun smirked toward him.  
“You raised me well, hyung” he commented and Minseok patted on his shoulder softly.  
“You are still the fastest. I wonder why you don’t start racing at a higher level, maybe also official competitive level” Minseok noted and Baekhyun shook his head briefly.  
“I couldn’t race in the same way. And because I love my Skyline too much, hyung” he replied and Minseok nodded shortly, attention attracted to Jongin and Yixing that arrived too.  
Also other people started to arrive and park around, confronting themselves about the race just ended.  
Minseok announced the winners and the prizes for who came from second to fifth as per usual and then let everyone do their things.  
Baekhyun waived shortly toward Jongin.  
“I’m going now. I got my brother to cover part of my shift for tonight, but he has some matters to do tonight, so he asked me to be back as soon as the race finished” he stated and Jongin nodded briefly.  
“See you at next race then” he concluded waiving at him and Baekhyun gave him thumbs up before sitting again in his Skyline and driving back home.  
He arrived at his deposit, that was two minutes walking from the mini-mart that he owned and where he worked in, in less than five minutes even if it was almost on the other end of the city.  
When he entered the mini-mart, his brother, Baekbom, was frowning.  
“I see you passing through. When will you decide to slow down a bit?” he asked him but Baekhyun shook his head softly.  
“You don’t understand, going slow is not part of my nature” he replied, chuckling and Baekbom sighed in exasperation.  
They faced that conversation way too many times and they both know that it was a match lost even before starting.  
Baekhyun loved driving too much, and he loved speed at the same degree.  
There was no way that he could drive slow if not for extra important reasons.  
“Thanks for being back early, by the way. My wife would have killed me otherwise” he replied and Baekhyun hummed in thoughts.  
“Thanks for watching the shop for me” he concluded and Baekbom was almost exiting from behind the counter to go away when a man, or maybe more a teenager seeing the appearance, entered the shop, worried.  
He was young, black slightly wavy hair, dark eyes and thick-framed glasses.  
Yellow t-shirt with a green parka on it and blue jeans.  
He seemed to be lost more than worried to Baekhyun.  
“Sir, everything is fine?” Baekbom asked him but he shook his head.  
“I… think I lost my way? He’s not around here the university, right?” he asked them and Baekbom shook his head briefly.  
“You are pretty far from it, actually. Did you mistake the metro line?” Baekbom asked the man that mumbled in thoughts.  
“My friend said blue line direction…” he started checking his phone and Baekhyun sighed softly.  
At that hour no train would bring him back to University area.  
And a taxi from there would be too expensive.  
“Need a ride toward University?” Baekhyun asked him and both Baekbom and the stranger frowned.  
Baekhyun shook his head, shrugging his shoulders, explaining his reasons.  
“It’s late, I don’t think that are any trains or metros going that way right now” he stated and Baekbom sighed deeply.  
“I came walking though. You will drive him there?” he asked Baekhyun that hummed briefly.  
“Sure, I’ll take the small i10” he replied and Baekbom glared at him.  
“Slowly” he simply whispered and Baekhyun waived at him, walking toward the stranger.  
“Come on, boy. Let me drive you back to university area. Which department are you from?” he asked him and the stranger frowned briefly.  
“A taxi would have been fine too…” he whispered in reply and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“Too expensive and I’m feeling kind tonight” he whispered nearing his black Hyundai i10 parked near the mini-mart.  
The Skyline was mainly for races, while he had another car for everyday use.  
Baekhyun unlocked it and sat at the driver seat, feeling completely different from his Skyline.  
Not that he didn’t drive in the same way in the i10, but the power was reduced as also the dimensions, just to remind Baekhyun not to do the same things he would do with his Skyline.  
The man sat beside him, pulling at his security belt and Baekhyun turned on the engine.  
“I’m really grateful” he added and Baekhyun shook his head softly, staring better at the stranger sitting at his passenger seat.  
He was tall, way taller than Baekhyun and… handsome.  
There was something in that man that physically appealed Baekhyun.  
Maybe the wide back?  
Or the height?  
Or the soft features of his face?  
Still Baekhyun find him charming.  
“So… which department did you say?” Baekhyun asked him and he frowned softly.  
“Astronomy” he replied and Baekhyun’s eyes widen in surprise.  
Definitely not the usual Korean Language or Mathematics or Computer science.  
He nodded shortly though, knowing where the place where.  
Baekhyun started to drive, keeping in mind that he had a passenger and all his attention was focused on not letting himself go while driving.  
He respected all the speed limits, traffic lights and didn’t drift on curves particularly narrow.  
It was the hardest thing ever.  
What did he think of when he suggested Baekbom to drive that stranger home?  
Maybe he hoped that Baekbom came with his car and would drive him home?  
Silence filled the car but Baekhyun was too focused on driving diligently to actually realize it.  
And when he stopped in front of the Astronomy Department of Seoul University, he really wanted to exhale a relief sigh.  
Because nothing happened and he behaved well.  
“I’m really grateful, thank you for driving me here” the man whispered opening the door of his car and Baekhyun smiled softly at him.  
“No worries, good night” he concluded waiving at him shortly and when the man closed the door and entered the building, Baekhyun exhaled deeply.  
He drove away, this time following his canons and almost respecting all the street rules.  
When he got back to the mini-mart, Baekbom exploded in a sound laughter.  
“How was it?” he asked him and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“Next time I suggest you something that stupid, please stop me. How does normal people do? Having a passenger is a stress” he replied and Baekbom chuckled again shaking his head.  
“Your fault, Baek. And now let me go home otherwise my wife will really kill me” he concluded and Baekhyun nodded shortly taking his place behind the counter.  
Baekbom was almost out of the mini-mart when he turned around to look at Baekhyun.  
“You should stop with the races, Baek. If my wife ever…” he started but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“I won’t. And I’m sorry if your wife doesn’t approve of me being what I am or if she doesn’t want your children to meet me anymore. It’s what I live for” he interrupted him, tone hard and decided.  
Baekbom’s wife was a woman fixed on preserving the appearances and being framed in standards.  
Everything Baekhyun didn’t want and couldn’t stand.  
In her opinion, Baekhyun was out for a lot of things.  
He wasn’t married.  
He had sexual relationships without never have any sentimental bonding.  
Preferred men over women, even if he didn’t refuse them.  
He liked dangerous things like racing and owned a public danger, ergo his Skyline.  
Despite him being not-exactly-tall in height, he was strong, stronger than one could think, and participated in mixed combats championships, sometimes earning bruises along with medals.  
And his past wasn’t exactly clear either.  
Baekhyun barely ended high school and after that, started immediately to work, small things nothing much.  
At twenty he started racing and became in a short time known as the fastest racer in Seoul.  
With the money he earned from his first race, he bought the Skyline.  
And after that, since he needed something to do while he wasn’t racing, he bought the mini-mart he still had and in which he worked.  
All things that weren’t how a teenager supposedly should proceed his life.  
He should have gone to university, studying, getting a degree, entering the work society in a renowned industry, marrying and having at least two children as his brother Baekbom did.  
That was the right way.  
But Baekhyun didn’t care about right things.  
He only knew that he would have raced as long as he could.  
Nothing more mattered.  
“I will tell her that you say hi” Baekbom concluded going away and Baekhyun sighed deeply.  
He couldn’t stand Baekbom’s wife, but he couldn’t neither exclude her from his life because it would be equal to exclude his own brother.  
And despite of what it could appear, he loved his brother and really cared about him.  
Baekbom was the only one that still cared about him and all he said was for Baekhyun’s sake, scolding but never accusing, trying to make Baekhyun lead a nice life.  
Baekhyun shook his head softly, shaking away also those thoughts.  
And then his mind went again to the stranger that got lost and he drove back to university.  
He really was appealing and charming.  
Such a pity Baekhyun didn’t manage to look at him better, being him so focused on not giving away his racing abilities.  
Who knew who he was and if Baekhyun would have other chances to meet him somewhere.

  
The following Friday, Minseok invited him at an event greater than usual, not only restricted to car racing, and that was more a show than a race.  
It was afternoon and Baekhyun just finished to dye his hair again, this time black with red highlights.  
It looked nice and the result was pleasing Baekhyun more than he would have cared to admit.  
Accordingly to what Minseok told him, there would have been representative racing and also driving tests.  
“It will be fun, B! It’s for promoting racing to new people and opening new collaboration and why not, finding also a sponsor. I think you and the Skyline would need one?” he stated and Baekhyun sighed deeply.  
A sponsor would definitely change the things, making him have more possibilities in winning thanks to better equipment and a more regular maintenance.  
However, on the other hand, sponsor could decide on the car, the color, the pieces to change, which races were worth running or not.  
And Baekhyun still wanted his independence.  
“I don’t know, hyung. A sponsor can be a hassle too. Count me in, though. I’m up to a drive” he concluded and Minseok cheered, sure that Baekhyun would have accepted.  
Baekhyun presented himself at eight, outside Gangnam, in an abandoned field where the thing was held.  
It was an old parking lot on more floors and he made his Skyline tires whistle nicely on the concrete when he parked.  
There was already a lot of people and Minseok immediately waived toward him.  
There were people of all the ages, music, food and drink stands.  
“Hyung, you did your best this time” Baekhyun noted once he was near Minseok that nodded shortly.  
“And you came prepared too? You look stunning, B! And how is your Skyline?” he asked him and Baekhyun smirked softly.  
“Thanks to last race, she’s almost like new” he replied smile not leaving his lips and Minseok whistled in appreciation.  
“I heard it” he noted, referring probably to the nice sound of the new gear Baekhyun installed on the Skyline.  
And the new brakes for sure.  
“You and Xing are the firsts to go, is that fine for you?” he asked him and Baekhyun shrugged his shoulders.  
“Should I match his pace or can I keep up with my tempo?” he retorted making Minseok laugh out loud, shaking his head.  
“Give me your best” he replied and Baekhyun smirked, nodding toward him and walking back to his car.  
He slightly caressed its profile before unlocking it and sitting inside.  
“Let’s go show our best, baby” he whispered, turning the engine on and, since he was in a nice mood, some music too.  
Baekhyun, contrary to popular beliefs and to every other racer, didn’t particularly liked party music.  
He liked more jazzy vibes and those chill-out music to which he could drive for forever.  
He drove to where Yixing already was with his car and rolled down the window.  
“Zhang, us again?” he asked him and Yixing smiled at him.  
“You know my offer is always there” he observed, smiling back, but Baekhyun chuckled.  
“Keep it up with me and we can talk about it tonight” he replied cockily, sure that the chance that Yixing won was almost a joke.  
Yixing smirked softly toward him, shaking his head.  
“I’ll show you” he concluded but Baekhyun was confident in his abilities and his car.  
He knew that he wouldn’t lose, even if that wasn’t a race.  
Baekhyun rolled up the window again, focusing on the road and Minseok ready to give them the signal.  
And when it was green again, the Skyline showed him again all its power, even after all those years.  
“Love ya, baby” he whispered, changing the gear and drifting on a turn, making the tires sign the concrete.  
And he really showed Minseok their best.  
When he parked again, this time near where Minseok was, he almost had one minute of lead on Yixing.  
“And here we are, ladies and gentlemen, Seoul’s fastest racer, B!” Minseok shouted on the megaphone and Baekhyun bowed shortly near him.  
“It was thanks to my Skyline, here” he whispered modestly but Minseok sighed shaking his head.  
“If someone else drove it, the result wouldn’t be the same” he concluded softly and Baekhyun really wondered if it was like that or no.  
He never let anyone drive his Skyline.  
“And you are accepting passengers for tonight?” Minseok asked him out of the blue and Baekhyun was about to reply that maybe it wasn’t the best thing, but from the crowd appeared a boy tall as he was and… the stranger of the Astronomy department.  
“Xiumin-hyung!” the shortest called Minseok who turned and smiled widely at the two.  
“Jondae-ha! What a nice surprise! And you came with friends!” he stated going toward them and high-fiving the shorter boy who nodded gently.  
Jondae was as tall as Baekhyun, brown hair and green eyes, his face seemed similar to a fox.  
But Baekhyun’s stare was on the stranger of the previous week.  
“Is B-hyung accepting passengers for tonight? Because my friend would like to” Jondae added and for a brief moment Baekhyun’s stare met with the stranger’s.  
Minseok’s stare went to Baekhyun who sighed softly.  
“I’m not the best driver to start from if you never been on one of this” Baekhyun observed, pointing to the Skyline parked behind them, and Minseok nodded shortly.  
“It’s you first time?” he asked toward the stranger that nodded shortly.  
And Baekhyun forced a small smile.  
He wanted to apologize but then he saw Jongin nearing them.  
Jongin was always really patient and kind with people, and more suitable for a first ride.  
“Kai!” he called him, waiving shortly and he quickened his pace to near them.  
“B! You were spectacular as per usual!” he commented and Baekhyun chuckled, shaking his head.  
“Are you up to a tour guide with Mr. …” Baekhyun asked Jongin, nodding toward the stranger that finally greeted them.  
“Park. Park Chanyeol” he supplied and Baekhyun smirked at him.  
Chanyeol had a low pleasant voice and not only a good physique.  
Baekhyun wouldn’t mind giving him a ride, but one of those Yixing tried to propose him since the start of their rivalry.  
Jongin hummed slightly.  
“Yeah, no problem at all. You know that I’m always fine with showing what we do to new fans” he replied and Baekhyun smiled at him softly, thanking him.  
“And if it’s his first time, better not driving with you, B! He could be scared and never come back” Jongin added and Baekhyun jokingly slapped his arm.  
“Am I this scaring?” he asked him back and Jongin hummed briefly.  
“More than you, your driving?” he replied and both Baekhyun and Minseok laughed briefly.  
“Then maybe next time, Park boy, if you survive the tour with Jongin and maybe also with Yixing” he replied, smirking softly and carding his finger through his hair.  
Jongin frowned, staring at him.  
“Oh that’s what was different! Your hair color! You aren’t pink anymore!” he stated clapping his hands together like if he just got an epiphany, and Baekhyun chuckled, shaking his head.  
“No? I think I told fire red?” he replied, slightly messing them up, and Jongin snorted.  
But in that moment, Chanyeol linked the two things and stared perplexed toward Baekhyun.  
“You are…” he whispered, marveled, eyes getting larger, and Baekhyun smirk again before nodding toward Jongin.  
“Don’t drive too fast” he recommended him and Jongin showed him his tongue before walking away with Chanyeol.  
“Sorry, Jondae-ha, but for your friend it was better to start with something less dangerous than B. He’s the fastest driver, but also the most reckless” Minseok explained and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“The only time that Jongin sat on my passenger seat, he said that if the drive would have lasted two minutes more, he would have thrown up also the previous day’s breakfast” he stated chuckling shortly at the memory and Jondae’s eyes went wider in perplexity.  
Baekhyun instead smiled again toward him.  
“So Park boy has to come prepared if he want to make a tour with me” he concluded and Minseok nodded shortly near him.  
And Jondae wanted to retort something but in that moment Yixing neared them.  
“How’s the evening going, sirs?” he asked and Minseok gave him thumbs up.  
Also Yixing wanted to add something more, but Jongin returned with Chanyeol, who seemed to be a bit proved by the drive.  
“How was it?” Jondae asked him and Chanyeol hummed briefly, making Jongin chuckle.  
“Definitely not his genre of driving” he replied on Chanyeol’s stake.  
Baekhyun sighed softly.  
“Park, are you sure you are fine? Don’t push yourself too hard. Want a glass of water?” he asked him and Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
Baekhyun slightly touched his shoulder guiding Chanyeol with him toward the nearest food and drinks stand.  
“A bottle of water and a beer, Charlie, thanks. And a curry ramen” Baekhyun ordered the old man that always had the same stand every time they had that kind of events.  
“Coming. Your race with Xing was nice tonight too, B. Did you fix that problem to the brakes?” he asked Baekhyun that nodded shortly.  
“Yeah… now they don’t make that weird sound anymore and they properly work again” he replied nodding softly and Charlie smiled at him giving him the two bottles and the ramen.  
Baekhyun paid and gestured Chanyeol toward an empty table near there.  
“Sit down and drink slowly otherwise it will get worse” Baekhyun told him sitting down and starting to eat.  
Chanyeol obeyed sitting down too and sipping from the bottle.  
“Thanks again for last week” Chanyeol whispered looking toward him and Baekhyun smiled back softly.  
“No worries. You were totally lost” he replied, shaking his head and finishing in record time his ramen.  
“Still, who would have said that you were this kind of driver?” he added chuckling and Baekhyun stared at him perplexed before snorting.  
“Because I drive also a small Hyundai? And I behaved properly while driving you home last time?” he asked back, shrugging his shoulders, and Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
“And you? What is a student of Astronomy doing to an illegal racing show?” Baekhyun inquired briefly, opening his bottle of beer, drinking a sip and Chanyeol sighed deeply shaking his head.  
“Actually, I don’t know either…” he whispered making Baekhyun chuckle.  
“Someone forced you here?” he tried again and Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
“Dae didn’t want to come alone, so he almost pleaded me to come with him” he explained and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“Stay sit here a bit, then. And try your best to relax at least a bit” he whispered drinking his beer in almost a single go.  
“You are…” Chanyeol started and Baekhyun smiled softly again.  
“Going. Hyung wants me to drive some more after that and maybe take someone with me, if he or she is brave enough” he stated and exactly in that moment Minseok arrived with two person with him.  
“B! Some brave souls?” he stated and Baekhyun smirked.  
“Let’s see how they cope with my Skyline?” he proposed and the girl that was with him cheered happily.  
The boy instead was Sehun, Baekhyun’s pupil at hapkido gym.  
Oh Sehun, blonde, tall and slender, a valid athlete and a good opponent when happened.  
Baekhyun considered him almost as his little brother but it was the first time he saw him at the races.  
Chanyeol’s stare was perplexed seeing them.  
“Seulgi? Sehun?” asked them and they both stared toward Chanyeol.  
“Chanyeol-hyung” Sehun stated smiled softly at him, waiving while the girl smiled at him.  
“Oppa, I didn’t know you liked B too!” she stated and Chanyeol smiled briefly while Baekhyun forced a smile.  
“Let’s go, go. Which one of you first?” he asked nodding toward the Skyline and Seulgi raised her hand, making Baekhyun chuckle.  
“Brave girl. Come this way” he concluded, gently waiving toward Chanyeol and walking toward his Skyline.  
“Please, fasten your safety belt” he stated when they both were sitting inside and doing it himself.  
“I hope it’s not your first time, lady” he added checking his mirrors, especially the rear-view one, and she shook her head.  
“I went with Xing-oppa before” she replied and Baekhyun smile grew wider.  
“Let’s raise the bar a bit then” he concluded, starting the engine and driving away.  
He drove her around the small parking lot, reaching the rooftop and back to the ground floor in record time, hearing her chuckle for all the ride.  
Skyline’s brakes took even better than expected when he drifted at ten centimeters from where Minseok and Sehun where standing, parking there and turning off the engine.  
“Was it good, lady?” he asked her, exiting the car and leaning on the top of the Skyline.  
Seulgi cheered all hyped.  
“I loved it! Thanks! It was the best!” she replied happily and Baekhyun smiled at her waiving softly, making a small gesture toward Sehun.  
“So, same for you, Sehunnie. First time?” he asked to Sehun who blushed softly at the nickname but shook his head.  
Baekhyun chuckled.  
“You don’t want them to know we know each other?” he added and Sehun shook his head again, sitting inside the Skyline.  
“You are always my preferred hyung” he replied looking toward him and Baekhyun chuckled softly.  
Sehun was fascinated, looking at the inside and Baekhyun’s smile went wider again.  
“Safety belt, please” he reminded Sehun, who nodded shortly, pulling it.  
“Mind something different instead of up to the roof and back?” he asked him softly and Sehun frowned softly, clearly wondering what Baekhyun was up to.  
“Let’s go for a ride. I’ll bring you back in no more than five minutes, I promise” he added and Sehun hummed shortly.  
“Chai-latte from the nearest Starbucks?” Sehun proposed him and Baekhyun chuckled, nodding and turning on the engine.  
He shifted his foot on the pedals, moving the gearshift and driving off the parking lot, toward the center of the city.  
In two minutes they were at Starbucks.  
They waited ten for the chai-latte.  
And in two minutes more they were back, drinks still hot in Sehun’s hands.  
Sehun was amazed and Baekhyun smiled, turning off the car and exiting.  
“Now offer that latte to your girlfriend and enjoy your evening” Baekhyun concluded leaning again on the top of the Skyline.  
“She’s not my…” Sehun whispered, clearly blushing, and Baekhyun smiled softly at him.  
“Enjoy your evening at least?” he added and Sehun smiled at him briefly before thanking him again and walking away.  
Baekhyun smiled again and was about to lock his Skyline when he saw again Chanyeol coming toward his direction.  
“You don’t look good, boy. Sure you are fine?” he asked Chanyeol who shook his head briefly.  
“Can I ask you a favor?” Chanyeol whispered softly and Baekhyun frowned deeply but nodded.  
“Would you drive me home?” he asked him, and the tone was so soft and so low that Baekhyun, gestured to come in, without even thinking twice.  
He didn’t know why but he couldn’t ignore Chanyeol’s request.  
Baekhyun felt like it was the best choice.  
“I’ll do my best, but this is not an i10” he observed sitting in and adjusting his safety belt, but Chanyeol shook his head briefly.  
“No worries, whatever it will be fine. I think I caught something because I’m not feeling well at all and the idea of taking the metro, risking mistaking again really don’t help…” he whispered again softly and Baekhyun hummed shortly, rolling down the window on Chanyeol’s side.  
“If you don’t feel well, stop me” he concluded inserting the keys again in and staring toward Chanyeol that nodded shortly, leaning the head on the head rest.  
“Same place?” he whispered and Chanyeol repeated the gesture.  
Baekhyun put on his Bluetooth auricular.  
“Call Hyung” he asked the device that composed Minseok’s number while he started driving, way slower than before, restraining himself on the pedals.  
Minseok replied almost immediately.  
“Hyung, give me ten minutes and I’m back. I’m bringing back Park that doesn’t feel exactly well so if you see his friend Jondae tell him that I drove him back” he said and Minseok replied affirmatively, reminding him to go slow.  
Baekhyun chuckled before hanging up.  
He gripped harder on the steering wheel, realizing that it was the first time he drove that slow in the Skyline.  
“Baby, keep it up a bit” he whispered toward the car and Chanyeol frowned softly, looking at him perplexed.  
“Sorry, I really love my car and usually she’s used to other… speed?” he whispered as explanation and Chanyeol snorted shaking his head.  
“You are strange, B” he added briefly and Baekhyun wanted to comment but Chanyeol asked him if they could stop.  
Baekhyun pulled over the sidewalk and turned off the engine.  
“Want to exit and walk around a bit?” he asked him softly, worried for Chanyeol’s health status.  
“Is it a weird prerogative of racers being so kind?” Chanyeol inquired exiting the car and breathing in some fresh hair.  
Baekhyun chuckled exiting too and leaning his head and arms on the top of the Skyline and admiring the harbor at night.  
It was so peaceful.  
No people around.  
No sounds except the waves in distance.  
And a beautiful starry sky above their heads, shining brightly in the night.  
“Oh, Cassiopeia” Chanyeol whispered out of the blue, pointing to an imprecise direction toward the sky.  
Baekhyun closed the door of the driver seat and turned around to where Chanyeol was standing.  
“Is it a constellation?” he asked Chanyeol who nodded briefly.  
“Yeah. See…? Over there, starting from that star up north” he replied and Baekhyun followed where Chanyeol was pointing to see the star he was talking about.  
“And coming down there to form the constellation of Cassiopeia. It was a while since last time I saw it…” he whispered, taking his phone out of his pocket and taking few pictures of what he was seeing.  
“And that one over there?” Baekhyun asked him pointing to a bright white star in the sky that seemed to be brighter and bigger than the others.  
Chanyeol leant in softly, trying to follow Baekhyun’s indication.  
His perfume was fresh, reminding Baekhyun of citrus and mint and it was very appealing, moving in Baekhyun’s contrasting feelings.  
“Ah, Mars. In few days it will appear redder than you see it now. It happens only in this moment of the year, so it’s pleasant to see” Chanyeol explained briefly, nodding shortly and taking more pictures, and Baekhyun nodded shortly, humming.  
Chanyeol started explaining him why Mars was more visible to them that other planets, like Mercury or Jupiter.  
And why Saturn, even if it was even more distant, it was more visible than Mercury itself.  
“Am I annoying you, right? I’m sorry…” he whispered at a certain point of the explanation but Baekhyun shook his head immediately.  
“Actually it was interesting. I don’t know very much of sky or constellations” he retorted but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“Exactly. My apologise for ranting on and on. You could have stopped me” he added, scratching the back of his head with his hand, cheeks slightly blushed, but Baekhyun sighed in exasperation.  
“I said it was interesting, not that you were annoying me, boy, relax” he whispered softly, feeling his pocket for a packet of cigarette without finding it.  
He frowned staring inside the Skyline but it wasn’t neither there.  
“Ah, I lost it somewhere” he whispered and Chanyeol frowned softly.  
“My cigarettes. I thought I had them here but they are not” he explained biting his lips in thought, trying to focus where he put it last time, and Chanyeol hummed briefly.  
“We can stop to a tobacco store on the way to the Department” he inquired and Baekhyun nodded in agreement.  
“How are you feeling? Better?” he asked concerned and Chanyeol hummed briefly opening again the Skyline passenger door and sitting inside.  
Baekhyun imitated his gesture and slowly, as slowly as possible with a car as his, drove Chanyeol just in front of the Astronomy Department.  
“I owe you another one, B” Chanyeol whispered gently but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“Take care of your health, Park boy. And next time, if you are better, I’ll drive you around as I say and not like this” he replied chuckling and Chanyeol forced a smile.  
“Can I take your word for it?” Chanyeol asked him, smile getting sweeter and softer and Baekhyun felt something clench inside his chest.  
That boy was too precious for his own good.  
And too young and too pure for Baekhyun to near.  
“Sure, if there will be the chance” he replied shortly and Chanyeol smiled again at him, waiving shortly and going inside the building.  
Baekhyun sighed deeply, fingers carding through his hair, frustrated.  
He was physically attracted to Chanyeol.  
Like a lot.  
But Chanyeol was a righteous university boy, like those good boys that Baekbom’s wife liked oh so much.  
And Baekhyun wasn’t exactly what should be interfering with Chanyeol’s life.  
It was nice and all seeing him in a different contest from the previous one, casually meeting again, but Baekhyun shouldn’t give those two meetings too much importance.  
They were happenings, nothing more.

  
Or at least this is what he wanted to think as he tried to convince himself for all the week, while working or training in the hapkido gym.  
However, when Saturday came again and Minseok invited him to another race, Baekhyun totally didn’t expect him to see Chanyeol there.  
Baekhyun was leaning on a short wall, talking with Jongin about the upcoming race when he saw him.  
He was sitting on a small table with Sehun and Jondae, this time no traces of the girl from before.  
They were chatting and Chanyeol seemed to be healthier than last time.  
This time he was wearing a red hoodie and his hair seemed to be fluffier than the previous time.  
He was laughing with Jondae and Baekhyun shifted his stare away, trying not to attract Chanyeol’s attention on him.  
Why in the world an astronomy student caught his attention that much?  
In that moment, Yixing reached where Baekhyun and Jongin were.  
“Evening, ready for tomorrow?” he asked Baekhyun who chuckled shaking his head.  
“Oh heavens, if you are participating too, I should retire already” he stated even if he wasn’t particularly worried about it, and Yixing shook his head softly.  
Apparently they both would attend the next day’s tournament for mixed martial arts.  
Another illegal thing that would make Baekbom’s wife’s hair go frizzy instead of straight.  
Baekhyun was pretty much confident in his hapkido skills but when great talents as Yixing participate too, he wavered a bit.  
He wasn’t as confident as he was with his Skyline.  
“Come on, B, don’t say like this. It could be that we neither meet in the rankings” Yixing noted and Baekhyun chuckled.  
“No worries, I’ve never backed out of a championship before. Neither when Tao was still in town” he replied and Yixing nodded briefly.  
“So… want to bet on tomorrow’s events?” Yixing asked him happily but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“I bet only when my Skyline is with me” he replied, smiling softly and Minseok attracted their attention for the lineup.  
Baekhyun sat again in his Skyline, pushing everything away from his mind.  
Chanyeol.  
The championship.  
The life he should be living according to Baekbom and his wife.  
“Let’s go get that first prize, baby” he whispered, starting the engine of his car that replied with the expected sound and low growl of the motor.  
He inhaled deeply focusing on the street, hand gripping harder on the gearshift.  
And at Minseok’s green, he didn’t even know that he pushed on the gas pedal and he was already darting through the designed track.  
Baekhyun smiled softly at the sensation that made him feel alive and that he wouldn’t change for anything in that world.  
And when he arrived at the finish line, he turned around twice before parking and exiting, pushing his hand through his hair.  
He felt a rush in his adrenaline that was too high in that moment, fastening his heartbeat and making him sweat more than expected.  
He locked his car, waiving softly toward Minseok that reached him immediately.  
“Do you have water?” he asked him, voice barely exiting from his throat and Minseok turned around searching with his stare for the usual stand but in that moment Chanyeol approached them, bringing a bottle of water.  
“Drink” he almost ordered to Baekhyun who nodded shortly, emptying the bottle in an instant.  
He closed his eyes, feeling the freshness of the water going down his throat and spilling a bit along his chin and neck.  
He inhaled deeply once he emptied it, exhaling all together and feeling again his breath and his heartbeat returning steady.  
“Thanks” he whispered toward Chanyeol that frowned shortly toward him, stare worried.  
Baekhyun forced a smile.  
“No worries, Park boy, I’m not dying. Just a rush of adrenaline” he added trying to sound as convincing as possible, but Chanyeol stare remained on Baekhyun worried.  
Also Jongin and Yixing arrived and with them also all the other racers.  
“Let me move the Skyline from here and park her better” Baekhyun muttered walking toward his car, but Chanyeol followed him.  
“I’m not going anywhere and I won’t…” Baekhyun started but Chanyeol stood on the passenger side of Baekhyun’s car, waiting for him to unlock it.  
Baekhyun chuckled shaking his head.  
However, he unlocked the car, letting Chanyeol sit on his side.  
He moved his car until the parking no more than hundred meters farther from where he left it.  
“Happy?” Baekhyun asked Chanyeol, turning off the engine and Chanyeol nodded, exiting the car.  
Baekhyun sighed, shaking his head and exiting it too.  
Chanyeol was already walking back to where all the people were and Baekhyun sighed again.  
Nothing good could come for Chanyeol to be near someone as Baekhyun.  
He walked back too and Minseok reached him, asking him if everything was fine and how he was feeling.  
“No worries. I’m fine” he replied and Minseok smiled softly even if his stare was still worried.  
They announced the prizes and, after a small party, Baekhyun was more than ready to go home.  
He waived briefly toward Minseok and Jondae, even if he didn’t see anywhere Yixing nor Chanyeol.  
Baekhyun walked back toward the Skyline and found Chanyeol leaning on it, typing something at his phone.  
“Park boy, take your cute ass off from my car, please” he stated briefly, nodding toward his car, and Chanyeol blushed softly, making his phone disappear in his pocket.  
“My ass is not cute” he retorted in a whisper, cheeks blushed, making Baekhyun chuckled.  
“I could differ, you know?” he commented, smirk slowly appearing on his lips, and Chanyeol blushed even harder, shaking his head.  
“Drive me home?” he asked out of the blue and Baekhyun laughed shortly.  
“Am I mistaking or you think of me as your taxi driver?” he asked him, chuckling, but he still unlocked his car, making Chanyeol gesture to sit inside.  
If it wasn’t Chanyeol asking but whoever else, Baekhyun would probably tell them to fuck off.  
And Baekhyun did his best not to think about this small detail.  
Chanyeol shook his head, pulling at the belt and fastening it.  
“Dae is lost with Xiumin-hyung. And your friend, Xing, offered me a lift but you promised a ride as you said, so… Here I am” he explained briefly, ruffling his hair, and Baekhyun chuckled softly, shaking his head.  
“Mind if I smoke inside?” Baekhyun asked Chanyeol who shrugged his shoulders.  
“It’s your car, not mine” he replied honestly and Baekhyun smirked.  
He liked this Chanyeol, still so fluffy and innocent but also a bit sassy.  
“I thought of you as a more innocent university boy, Park. What happened with these cocky replies?” he asked Chanyeol, lightening up a cigarette and starting the engine but an orange warning light appeared on his Skyline dashboard.  
“Uh, refueling time” he whispered, changing the gearshift and slightly pressing on the gas pedal.  
“Better keep it up with this tempo for two minutes, Park boy. At least until the gas station” he informed Chanyeol that chuckled shortly.  
“I’m here for a ride at your way, please feel free to do as you please” Chanyeol replied and Baekhyun chuckled, pressing slightly more on the accelerator.  
In one minute they were at the gas station and Baekhyun finished to smoke before exiting the car.  
“You tried to kill me, right?” Chanyeol asked him a bit terrified by Baekhyun’s real driving style.  
Baekhyun chuckled softly, shaking his head.  
“You said my way” he replied shortly and Chanyeol huffed shortly, smiling briefly at him.  
Baekhyun pressed the cigarette butt on his portable ashtray and then exited to refuel the Skyline.  
A man behind him who was doing the same whistled in appreciation.  
“Nice car you have there” he hollered and Baekhyun smirked.  
“Not nice as its driver” he replied, winking toward the man who chuckled, driving away in his Audi.  
Baekhyun sat back in and Chanyeol chuckled, shaking his head.  
“How bold of you. Are you always like this?” Chanyeol asked him directly and Baekhyun hummed in thought.  
“It depends. While I’m simply B and I have the Skyline near me, yes. During daylight I’m more sleepy and sassy than bold and cocky” he replied, showing Chanyeol a nice smirk and Chanyeol shook his head again, unbelieving.  
“Right, you are… a shopkeeper during the day?” he asked toward Baekhyun that turned again the engine on.  
“Actually, I’m the owner and the shopkeeper of a mini-mart, but yes, that’s my work” he replied engaging the gear and checking the rear-view mirror, and Chanyeol hummed briefly.  
“And why you race during nighttime?” Chanyeol inquired him again and Baekhyun’s stare briefly shifted on Chanyeol’s face before returning to the street and driving off the gas station.  
“Tonight is questions night?” he asked interested to Chanyeol who pressed his lips in a thin line.  
“Kind of? You are not fine with them?” he retorted and Baekhyun shrugged his shoulders.  
“Whatever. If I’m not up to reply, I won’t” he stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world and Chanyeol nodded briefly.  
“I started when I was no more than twenty and never stopped. I bought the mini-mart with my second win. My first was the Skyline” he added, replying Chanyeol’s previous questions.  
“And… you are talking to distracting yourself from the speed? Do you want me to slow down?” he inquired shortly, arching his eyebrow and Chanyeol coughed briefly, making Baekhyun know that his suspicion was correct.  
“No, if we continue speaking like this I won’t have problem. The silence causes me some problems instead” he explained voice barely audible and Baekhyun hummed softly.  
“Then let me ask you something, Park boy, why in heavens you drive with me, if you are terrified by it?” he asked him and Chanyeol sighed deeply.  
It was the rightest question since nobody actually forced Chanyeol to sit in Baekhyun’s car.  
“I’m…” he started but then he rephrased it.  
“It’s called shock therapy” he stated shortly and Baekhyun chuckled, shaking his head.  
“To adapt faster to something, you drive with me that I’m the worst at driving?” he asked back and somehow it made sense also to Baekhyun.  
Chanyeol nodded shortly before shaking his head instead immediately.  
“You are not the worst. You are the best, actually. That’s why I get the idea that if I manage to survive some drives with you, then I can keep it up with everyone else’s driving?” he explained better and Baekhyun nodded briefly.  
So Chanyeol had his eyes on one of the racers.  
Probably Jongin since they went for a drive together but Chanyeol didn’t actually survive it.  
“I see then. Well, if you are up to it and you don’t throw up in my car, I’m here” he concluded parking in front of Chanyeol’s Department.  
Chanyeol frowned briefly staring outside the window, perplexed.  
“Already here?” he asked marveled and Baekhyun chuckled, shaking his head.  
“Park boy, my Skyline does magic. Tell me where you want to go and we will almost halve the time to go there” he replied smirking at him and Chanyeol stared at him in an awe before nodding briefly and exiting the car.  
“I owe you another one, B” he whispered and Baekhyun winked at him.  
“At your service, Park boy” he concluded waiving at him before driving away.  
He sighed shortly when he was distant to the Astronomy Department.  
He knew perfectly what he told Chanyeol.  
But he knew perfectly also how much he screwed up telling him so.  
Baekhyun was supposed to keep Chanyeol distant from him not to near him, neither to help him getting laid with Jongin or whoever other racers there was out there.  
He went home and simply dropped on his bed as he was, without even taking off his clothes.  
He stared blankly at the ceiling, wondering why his life was testing him through Park Chanyeol.  
Baekhyun sighed deeply, turning on a side and extracting his phone and cigarette from his pockets.  
He set the alarm on the phone and then pressed the switch near the nightstand, turning off the lights, trying to sleep at least a bit.

  
The day after, he woke up with the worst headache in his personal history.  
He took some painkillers immediately after breakfast and before showering.  
The meeting time for the tournament was ten and he reached the place, this time with his i10, in no more than ten minutes.  
“Oh, Baek!” Irene greeted him gently and Baekhyun waived at her softly.  
Bae Irene Joohyun was one of the prettiest and “badassest” female martial artist.  
Slightly shorter than him, long hazelnut hair and dark eyes.  
She won several championship for karate.  
“Irene, are you competing too today?” he asked her who shook her head softly.  
“No, no… today no. They said that there will be both Xing and Tao” she replied and Baekhyun sighed deeply.  
Maybe that morning it would be better to turn on the other side, ignoring the alarm, and remain in his bed with his stupid dull headache.  
But a prize was a prize and even coming third would have meant a nice amount of money.  
Formal attire or uniform weren’t requested so Baekhyun opted for a comfy gym attire.  
He signed in as participant and started stretching when Yixing neared him.  
“B! You came in the end!” he almost shouted and Baekhyun shook his head briefly.  
“Speak softer. I’m having the worst headache possible…” he whispered pressing his fingers on the sides of his head, and Yixing frowned softly.  
“Did you take something for it?” he asked him and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“And did you receive the invitation for tomorrow driving test?” Yixing asked him and Baekhyun nodded again briefly.  
That morning, during breakfast, Minseok sent him the invitation to a driving test.  
One of the sponsors bought one or two new car and brought them in a designed place to make them try to the fastest drivers of the area.  
Sometimes also real and renowned car industries did the same, testing the car before with racers like them instead of simply putting them on the market.  
And Baekhyun knew he would go.  
Because even if he was loyal to his Skyline, he liked to try new cars.  
“Will you be there too?” he asked toward Yixing who nodded too.  
They stared at each other but then the loudspeakers announced the start of the tournament.  
Baekhyun sighed in relieved at the results of the draw.  
He could arrive at the final without any doubt and Yixing and Tao where on the same block, different from Baekhyun.  
That meant that he would be facing only one of them and most probably Tao.  
The matches were brief and focused on points.  
Depending on how many hits, and where they landed said hit, they could earn one, five or ten point.  
After five minutes, the winner was who scored more point.  
There were moves and techniques that were banned, but mainly every martial art could be used.  
And Baekhyun had it pretty easy that day, scoring a lot of points, and earning only few bruises and a cut on his lips, that cost a penalty to his adversary.  
That kid thought it was a nice thing to try and land a round kick on Baekhyun’s face.  
Thankfully Baekhyun managed to avoid most of it, simply cutting his bottom lip and bruising part of his cheek.  
He put ice on it, while waiting for the results of the other blocks, but in the end it was clear that the final would have been Baekhyun versus Tao.  
Tao was an agile Chinese man, well-trained in kung fu and several others martial arts that fought harder than anyone else, even more than Yixing himself.  
And Baekhyun knew that the result would have been that one.  
He lost, earning a solid second place and a lot of money, more than previewed.  
Baekhyun sighed softly, headache still pressing at the back of his head, numbing slightly his rational thoughts.  
So, he simply retrieved the prize, thanked the organizers, waived again Irene that were there only to support her friend, and went home.  
Undressing he discovered few more bruises that he didn’t notice before and the purple bruise that was blooming on his right cheek and that cause also the cut on his lip.  
He sighed deeply, taking a pack of frozen peas and putting on his cheek, hoping it would swollen down a bit before the day after.  
He wouldn’t want to drive in that condition.  
And thankfully, the day after the bruise swollen down a bit, but the purple remained and the cut on his lip too.  
He sighed briefly, shaking his head and opting for a mask that day that could help cover both.  
Baekhyun took his Skyline and drove until the place, when he met Minseok the only one already there.  
“Oh, B! You are the first as usual” he greeted him, clapping a high-five and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
Minseok frowned at the mask.  
“Are you okay?” he asked him worried and Baekhyun sighed, nodding, and pulling it down showing Minseok the bruise and the cut.  
Minseok sighed too, shaking his head.  
“You went to another tournament?” he inquired softly and Baekhyun hummed shortly.  
Minseok clicked his tongue in disappointment.  
“You are not so young anymore, Baek. And you are the owner of a mini-mart in a residential area. What would people think about you if you show up with bruises and cuts on your face?” he asked him and Baekhyun sighed.  
“I know. But it’s against the ruling hitting at the face, so I thought I was fine, but someone likes to play dirty, apparently” he explained briefly, shaking his head and Minseok sighed again, patting his head.  
“At least did you win something?” he asked and Baekhyun smiled at him widely, making the V sign.  
“Sure, I got the second place!” he replied and Minseok congratulated him, patting on his shoulder and giving him one of Minseok’s rare lollipops.  
They were rare items that only sometimes Minseok had with him but they were so tasty and never the same and Baekhyun only earnt three since he knew Minseok.  
He cheered like a kid when he got it and Minseok chuckled, wanting to add something more but in that instant, Jondae and Chanyeol compared from the end of the parking.  
“Why are they here?” Baekhyun asked softly to Minseok and the man hummed softly.  
“Jondae is… a good man, Baek. I kind of fancy him? And he’s writing something on underground Seoul and I want to help him?” he replied honestly with a fondness in his stare that stroke Baekhyun harder than expected.  
It wasn’t common for Minseok to show this much his feelings toward another person.  
But Baekhyun was happy for him.  
Baekhyun nodded shortly, pulling up again his mask.  
When they were near, Baekhyun greeted them with a small gesture.  
“Nice to see you again, boys. How the week went?” he asked them trying to be as friendly as possible, even if he was worried about their presence there, and Jondae nodded starting to loudly tell them what happened during that week and both Baekhyun and Minseok listened to his discourses, even if Baekhyun’s stare met Chanyeol’s perplexed one, probably for the mask.  
After few minutes, Jondae and Minseok started to speak about things that Baekhyun couldn’t quite follow so he went silent and Chanyeol neared him.  
“Are you okay?” he asked him softly, gesturing toward the mask, and Baekhyun chuckled nodding shortly.  
“What about you? Aren’t you cold?” he retorted, head nodding toward Chanyeol’s attire that consisted in only a t-shirt and a dark blue parka over a pair of blue jeans.  
It kind of suited him, making him look even younger and so good in Baekhyun’s eyes that he had to force his stare away.  
“No, I’ve an internal temperature which is pretty high, so it’s difficult that I’m cold” he replied softly, smiling at him and Baekhyun chuckled.  
“Such a nice thing, especially in winter” he noted softly and Chanyeol nodded briefly before asking Baekhyun the same.  
“What about you? You seem pretty much covered to be only the start of September” he added and Baekhyun snorted, shaking his head.  
“I’ve the opposite problem. My internal temperature is really low, so I’m always cold” he replied taking his hands out of his pockets and pushing them on Chanyeol’s cheeks.  
“You are freezing!” Chanyeol gasped in surprise and Baekhyun laughed loudly.  
“Exaggerated. I’m just a bit cold, actually” he replied trying to put his hands back again in his pockets, but Chanyeol sighed deeply rustling in his own pockets and taking out a portable hand warmer.  
“Here” he stated placing on Baekhyun’s hands that felt immediately the pleasant warm comfort spreading to his fingers.  
Baekhyun stared at him in an awe, thankful for that unexpected warmth.  
“How in the world do you drive when it’s winter?” Chanyeol asked him and Baekhyun rustled in his pocket too, taking out a pair of fingerless leather gloves.  
“These save me, usually” he replied and Chanyeol shook his head exasperated.  
Minseok came back with Jondae and coffee.  
Baekhyun was internally grateful and took the paper cup, pulling slightly his mask down to drink it wholly.  
He thanked again Minseok and threw away the paper cup, pulling up again his mask.  
However, Chanyeol’s stare was perplexed on him.  
“What did you do to your face?” he asked him and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“I fell yesterday?” he replied forcing a smile but, if his wasn’t exactly believable before, from behind Yixing hollered at him, asking him how it was his bruise.  
“Better, Zhang. Thanks for worrying” he replied briefly before shifting again his stare toward Chanyeol.  
“Yesterday I went to a tournament and…” he started explaining and Chanyeol frowned.  
“What exactly is a tournament?” he started asking but Jondae’s stare brightened up.  
“B, do you participate also to tournaments?” he inquired excited and Baekhyun nodded softly.  
“Yesterday there was one” he stated and Yixing added for him “And he won the second place”.  
Both Jondae and Chanyeol were perplexed.  
Exactly for his height, Baekhyun wasn’t considered exactly strong, even if he was more than expected.  
“What exactly is this tournament?” Chanyeol asked again and Baekhyun sighed softly.  
“Matches. A lot of them. All martial arts are admitted” he replied and Chanyeol frowned even deeper.  
“It seems dangerous” he whispered worried and before Baekhyun could tell him it wasn’t, Yixing nodded shortly.  
“Especially if there are contestants that are not playing following the rules, like yesterday” he explained and Baekhyun clicked his tongue, annoyed.  
“Yeah, that asshole aimed to my face. It wasn’t a mistake” he whispered, sighing deeply and shaking his head, and Chanyeol sighed too.  
“So, you participated to this tournament and one of your opponents, hit you in the face?” Chanyeol asked him and Baekhyun nodded pulling again down his mask, showing him the result of said hit.  
“And it’s even better than yesterday” Yixing observed and Baekhyun closed his eyes trying to gather all his patience and not to kick him in the shin.  
Chanyeol’s stare was worried and Baekhyun forced his better smile, pulling again his mask up.  
“No worries. I’m doing alright, Park boy, I’m alive and kicking” he concluded and he was saved by the arrival of other persons and the sponsor with the new model of Pagani Zonda.  
Baekhyun couldn’t believe his eyes.  
It was so black and smooth and… He wanted to try it.  
The sound was so pleasant and so clear.  
“We lost him” he heard Minseok tell to Jondae and Chanyeol and Baekhyun stick out his tongue in reply.  
“Where do I have to sign to try it first?” Baekhyun asked to Minseok who showed him a list with Baekhyun’s name on top of it.  
“It’s already yours for fifteen minutes, starting from whenever you sit inside” he replied and Baekhyun literally squealed, almost running toward the car.  
He bowed toward the man that brought it there, asking some information about the characteristics and looking at the car in awe.  
“I can drive to Incheon and back with this in fifteen minutes” he whispered and someone behind him tapped on his shoulder.  
It was Minseok and Baekhyun frowned, wondering if there was any problem.  
“There’s a condition to its utilization, though” he stated and Baekhyun raised his eyebrow in perplexity.  
“That would be?” he asked him shortly and Minseok pulled Chanyeol toward Baekhyun.  
“You have to be with someone who doesn’t drive at all and will be your warranty to bring the car back” he stated and Baekhyun chuckled, unbelieving.  
“Are you kidding me?” he asked, shaking his head, incredulous but Minseok shook his head too.  
“Not only you but everyone. And Chanyeollie here said it was fine for him” he added and Baekhyun inhaled, closing his eyes.  
Apart for the nickname that sounded so strange on Minseok’s lips and annoyed Baekhyun a bit, he felt cheated.  
Driving with Chanyeol?  
That couldn’t even take his Skyline?  
“I swear, Park boy. One word even similar to slow down and I will leave you somewhere along the way back here” he stated and Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
Baekhyun sighed softy asking the man the keys of that beautiful car and then nodded Chanyeol to sit inside.  
He turned toward Minseok.  
“Fifteen minutes you said, right?” he asked him and Minseok nodded.  
“It’s GPS tracked. Go and enjoy yourself” he added and Baekhyun smirked, finally sitting inside the car.  
The interior was on point, lucid and smooth, as black as the outside.  
He pulled his security belt and stared at Chanyeol.  
“You promised. Not. A. Word” he stated and Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
“Can I speak to you after the first two minutes of contentment?” he asked him and Baekhyun hummed pensively.  
“If not for asking me to slow down, yes” he replied in the end and Chanyeol nodded briefly.  
That was one in a million chance for Baekhyun and he wanted to enjoy every last second of that car.  
“Let’s go then” Baekhyun concluded inserting the keys and turning the engine on.  
The sound was almost an heargasm to Baekhyun who closed his eyes listening to it and gripping harder on the gearshift.  
“Show me what you can do” he whispered pushing slightly on the gas pedal and the sensation was even better.  
The gears shifted fluidly, the sound was crystal clear and everything was in the right place to give him the most pleasant drive experience ever.  
“Ah, Park boy, life’s joys!” he exclaimed, gearing up again and pushing harder on the pedal.  
He was oh so glad that it was night and there wasn’t any traffic around the streets because he couldn’t careless of everything around him if not how far he could go in only fifteen minutes with that car.  
“You are enjoying yourself as a kid” Chanyeol noted and he chuckled softly.  
“I am a kid in these things, Park boy. Because I love these cars and… wait. How old do you think I am?” he asked him, stare not leaving the streets but frowning shortly.  
Chanyeol shrugged his shoulders.  
“I don’t know. In your thirties?” he replied honestly and Baekhyun frowned again, shaking his head.  
“Just for you to know that if we weren’t in a car that it’s not mine and even in two lives I couldn’t repay, I would have already slapped you!” he stated and Chanyeol chuckled softly.  
“Older?” he tried even if it was clear that he was joking.  
“You are pushing you luck too much, boy. I’m twenty-six last May” he replied and Chanyeol frowned, perplexed.  
“Twenty-six?” he echoed and Baekhyun nodded briefly, relaxing better on the seat and engaging a new gear.  
“Does it seem so strange to you?” he asked him briefly and Chanyeol hummed in thought.  
“We have the same age, then…” he observed pensively and Baekhyun frowned, unbelieving.  
“Are you kidding me?” he inquired back and he was honestly shocked but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“We are equal in age, then. I thought you were younger. Like twenty? Twenty-one?” he observed and Chanyeol chuckled before staring outside the window, eyes growing larger in perplexity.  
“We really are at Incheon Airport?” he asked Baekhyun that swore, not realizing that it was already passed that much time.  
He pressed the clutch and the handbrake, making literally a U-turn in the middle of the street and driving back to where he came from.  
“I thought I was dying!” Chanyeol whined when his breath returned even and Baekhyun laughed brilliantly.  
“You are too young to die, Park” he commented softly and Chanyeol shook his head, small smile appearing on his lips.  
“And I’m in good hands, right?” he added and Baekhyun smirked softly nodding.  
“The best in town” he replied, pushing the gas pedal at maximum.  
Chanyeol surprised him.  
He was unexpectedly calm for all the trip, apart for the small U-turn accident.  
And he praised Baekhyun for his driving skill.  
Baekhyun couldn’t believe it.  
In fourteen minutes and fifty-five seconds, Baekhyun drove forth and back to Incheon Airport and when he exited the car, he slightly patted on the top of it.  
“Bye-bye. It was a pleasure” he whispered giving back the keys to the man that bowed shortly toward him.  
Baekhyun stretched his hands over his head feeling satisfied with his life and his new achievement.  
Jondae didn’t quit asking things about how it went, how was it, the maximum they reached and when Chanyeol hinted to the U-turn, Jondae was thrilled but Minseok was dumbfounded.  
“You are crazy, B. With a passenger with you?” he asked him and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“Everything was in control, hyung” he replied giving him a thump up and he really was.  
He never felt so much in control as in that moment.  
“Still… I wonder how Chanyeollie didn’t die for this” Minseok commented frowning, stare moving toward Chanyeol and Baekhyun shook his head, looking toward Chanyeol too.  
“I wonder how too, actually” he stated, feeling his own pocket looking for his packet of cigarettes.  
He didn’t know why Chanyeol continued to go with him.  
Almost three weeks passed since the first time he drove Chanyeol back home and Chanyeol seemed to be pretty used to be Baekhyun’s passenger and definitely adapted to his speed, apart for the U-turn happening.  
Baekhyun lighted up a cigarette and before Chanyeol could reply, Jondae slapped Chanyeol’s shoulder as he got some ideas or something like that.  
Chanyeol frowned, looking at his friend perplexed.  
“You could ask him to drive you to Gyeongju!” he exclaimed like it was the most obvious thing in the world but Chanyeol’s eyes went wider, immediately shaking his head frantically.  
“No, no at all. I don’t even know how you can think something like that…” Chanyeol whispered, still shaking his head, but Baekhyun was interested.  
“Gyeongju is pretty far from here. What business do you have over there?” he asked Chanyeol, puffing out some smoke in their opposite direction.  
“Nothing. No need to worry, I’m already asking you so much every time you drive me back to the Department” he whispered, small smile appearing on his lips, and Jondae frowned shortly, clearly not knowing that his friend was regularly host of the fastest driver in town.  
Baekhyun frowned softly, shaking his head.  
“I won’t force you, but if you need it…” he started and Jondae forced again his way in the subject.  
“He would help him write his thesis on astronomical observation through Korean history” he stated and Chanyeol glared at him, annoyed by the unrequired explanation.  
Baekhyun though smiled softly, blowing some more smoke away before pressing the butt of the cigarette in his portable ashtray.  
“I would gladly drive you over there, since it seems an important reason” he commented briefly, nodding softly, and Jondae cheered shortly even if Chanyeol pressed his lips in a thin line.  
Baekhyun shook his head, forcing another brief smile.  
“You always know where to find me if you are up to it” he concluded and in that moment Yixing arrived patting his back and cheering about the ride he just had too.  
“That car is such a beautiful baby, B!” Yixing exclaimed and Baekhyun smiled softly.  
“Indeed. It was a pleasure to drive it” he concluded, smile still present on his lips.  
He wanted to add something else but from the other side of the street, Sehun waived at them.  
Baekhyun made a small gesture and Sehun crossed the street, clapping a high-five with Baekhyun.  
Sehun was an unexpectedly mature boy.  
He could seem a bit laid back, but during training he was always super focused.  
Baekhyun gave him some rides too, during tests, and he always had nice things to tell him.  
They weirdly clicked good together.  
“Sehunnie, it’s a while” he greeted him and Sehun took Baekhyun’s hand in his, gripping slighter before releasing it.  
It was a sort of secret code.  
Sehun started to do it a while ago, while he was stressed for the incoming competitions and looked for some comfort in Baekhyun.  
It wasn’t anything physical at sex level, but small gestures, caresses and sometimes hug too.  
“A pity you didn’t come before. You could have ride that with me” he whispered, head gesturing toward the Pagani Zonda that just came back from another ride.  
Sehun hummed softly.  
“I have a favor, hyung” he stated out of the blue and more serious than expected making Baekhyun frown briefly.  
“Next week, are you free?” he asked him and Baekhyun took out his phone from his pocket.  
“Precisely which day?” he inquired back looking at the shifts of the mini-mart and considering the hapkido lessons.  
“Friday night” Sehun replied and Baekhyun’s stare moved toward Minseok.  
“Hyung, anything settled for Friday night?” he asked him and Minseok shook his head softly.  
“I’m free then. What’s up?” Baekhyun concluded stare shifting again toward Sehun who frowned briefly.  
“Come to a party with me” he boldly stated making all the person who witnessed that conversation gape.  
“Come again?” Baekhyun repeated, incredulous and Sehun nodded shortly.  
It was the weirdest request Sehun ever made to him.  
“Please” Sehun added and Baekhyun chuckled shortly, unbelieving his ears.  
Why in the world Sehun invited him and no one else to a party, Friday night, surely in the center of Seoul?  
“Where?” Baekhyun asked him and Sehun’s stare shifted away.  
“Gangnam area, to Exodus” he replied and Baekhyun laughed sarcastically, shaking his head.  
He knew why Sehun invited him there.  
Exodus was a shady club where a lot of mafia and illegal things happened, including robbery, brawl and rape.  
Obviously not including all the drugs traffic.  
Overall, though, it was a cool place for trendy people.  
“It’s a cool people place, Sehunnie. Are you sure you want me to go with you? Even Zhang would be more at ease than me there” he explained gesturing his head toward Yixing but Sehun shook his head.  
“I know I’m asking you a lot, hyung, but please” he whispered again and Baekhyun carded his fingers through his hair, lightening up another cigarette.  
One evening out won’t be the end of anything.  
And it seemed to be important to Sehun.  
“We won’t go with the Skyline, though. And no more than two AM. I have work and a tournament the following day” he stated declaring his conditions and Sehun opened in a shy smile.  
“Thank you” he cheered and Baekhyun huffed, shaking his head but on his lips there was a small smile too.  
“I owe you a super one this time!” he exclaimed before hugging him tight and then suddenly run away.  
Baekhyun turned toward Minseok and the others, shaking his head, puffing out some smoke.  
“You are too soft with him, B” Minseok stated and Baekhyun smiled wider.  
He was pretty fond of Sehun.  
As he was of Jongin.  
Like little brothers.  
“Don’t tell him, though” he whispered pushing his finger on his lips and smoking the last of his cigarette.  
Chanyeol stared at him perplexed and with a strange emotion in his eyes that Baekhyun couldn’t quite point his finger to.  
They stayed there a while more, eating something and speaking about nothings more than serious things and then around one, Baekhyun stretched again his arms over his head, yawning.  
“Guys, it was nice and all but I think I’ll go home” he declared sitting up and Minseok nodded briefly.  
“Need a ride, Park boy?” he asked toward Chanyeol that stayed silent for mostly of the evening and he just nodded in reply.  
“Come on, then” he concluded waiving slightly toward the others and walking to where he parked the Skyline.  
They sat inside and after pulling the security belt, Baekhyun turned his face toward Chanyeol.  
“Is there something wrong?” he asked him briefly, stare inquiring, trying to understand what could make Chanyeol so silent during that evening but Chanyeol frowned softly before simply shaking his head.  
“Sure?” Baekhyun retried again and Chanyeol nodded.  
“I’m just a bit tired. University can be pretty hectic” he replied briefly and Baekhyun hummed shortly.  
Clearly it wasn’t the problem but he was no one to force him to reply.  
He turned on the engine and engaged the right gear and drove off.  
The ride was mostly silent too, strangely since Chanyeol always told him that speaking helped him cope with the speed.  
They didn’t stop anywhere so in less than five minutes, Baekhyun was in front of Chanyeol’s department.  
“See you around” Chanyeol whispered unfastening the belt and making gesture to open the door, but Baekhyun stopped him, fingers gripping softly on Chanyeol’s wrist.  
They stared at each other briefly and then Baekhyun shook his head, forcing a smile and releasing Chanyeol from his grip.  
“Yeah, see you around” he concluded, nodding shortly.  
Chanyeol hummed and exited from the car, walking inside the building.  
Baekhyun sighed deeply, shaking his head.  
If Chanyeol wanted to keep some distance between them, it was fine.  
There wasn’t anything bonding them or forcing them together.  
Baekhyun didn’t know anything about Chanyeol apart that he was an astronomy student and that he didn’t like speed.  
And Chanyeol didn’t even know Baekhyun’s real name…  
Baekhyun shook his head again, driving off and going back home, pushing all the thoughts away.

  
The days between that happening and Friday were almost peaceful.  
Work at the mini-mart was always the same, steady and regular.  
As also the hapkido lessons.  
But on Thursday, Minseok wrote him a message asking him to participate at that night exhibition.  
Baekhyun was a bit tired and the following day was the day he promised to go with Sehun.  
However, he decided to go nevertheless.  
That night he was quite annoyed by everything, mainly because he was tired and the idea that maybe he could meet Chanyeol there didn’t excite him at all.  
Baekhyun drove over there and when he exited there were already a lot of people.  
Minseok waived at him shortly and he waived back, walking near him.  
“Hyung” he greeted briefly and Minseok frowned shortly.  
“Long week?” he asked him and Baekhyun nodded, fingers carding through his hair.  
“I don’t know how I will arrive at Sunday, actually” he whispered back and Minseok wanted to ease him a bit, but obviously Jondae with Chanyeol appeared.  
“How are things with the boy?” Baekhyun asked him and Minseok smiled softly.  
“Fine. He’s nice to be around. A bit loud, but a good boy” he replied and Baekhyun hummed, glad to hear it.  
“I’ll give you some space then. Zhang is stressing me out for some advices on his Corolla and I’ll go check it with him?” he whispered and Minseok frowned briefly.  
“Don’t you want to…?” he started but Baekhyun waived at him softly, walking toward Yixing’s direction, who was sitting on the hood of his Corolla, typing something on his phone.  
“Then? What’s up with your baby?” Baekhyun asked him and Yixing smiled briefly at him pocketing his phone and detaching from the car to open the hood.  
They spoke a bit about what was better to do with it and then when Baekhyun was almost done with it, in the distance they heard police sirens.  
Baekhyun huffed shaking his head.  
Last thing he needed was an escape from the police.  
He took the keys and walked toward his Skyline, making a small gesture toward Yixing and Jongin to go away.  
They moved immediately too and Baekhyun started the engine driving till where Minseok and Jondae was.  
“Not a good evening, hyung. Gotta go” he stated rolling down the windows and Minseok nodded, patting Jondae on his shoulder and making him gesture to go with him.  
“Where’s Park?” Baekhyun asked him and Jondae gesture a little bit farther, near where other people was sitting.  
Baekhyun nodded, moving nearer to there.  
“Park boy, get in” he almost ordered and when Chanyeol frowned almost shaking his head, Baekhyun glared at him.  
“Bring your cute ass here and don’t make me repeat myself” he stated, this time a clear order.  
Chanyeol clicked his tongue, sitting inside Baekhyun’s car and, even before he could pull at his belt, Baekhyun drove away.  
“What’s happening?” Chanyeol asked him and Baekhyun gestured toward the belt.  
“Better if you fasten it. I won’t slow down this time” he whispered, stare fixed on the street and turning toward a less packed street but not definitely straight.  
He clicked his tongue, pressing on the clutch and gripping harder on the gearshift.  
“Damn it” he whispered checking in the rear-view mirror if Jongin took his same street but he went straight instead of turning as Baekhyun did.  
He almost threw his phone to Chanyeol, unlocking it with his fingerprint.  
“Call Kai” he ordered him and Chanyeol fumbled with the contacts and frowned at the lack of Kai in the contact list.  
“Under Jongin” Baekhyun added and Chanyeol went back to J, finding the contact and pressing on it.  
“Put the speakers” he continued and Chanyeol obeyed.  
They waited two second before after a small noise, Jongin’s voice came up.  
“B? Where are you…? I’m following Xing on the highway” he stated and Baekhyun clicked his tongue.  
“Remember to darken your plate. And I took another way, no worry. Don’t go straight home and don’t stop at your boyfriend’s” he recommended and Jongin chuckled softly.  
“I know, I know. See you next time, B” he concluded hanging up and Baekhyun smiled softly, shaking his head.  
Jongin was really the best pupil he could have.  
“What happened?” Chanyeol asked him and Baekhyun sighed.  
“I don’t know if your friend ever told but… all of this is illegal. Therefore, if police come up, we don’t tend to stay there” he replied, pushing the clutch and pulling the handbrake, making the tires sign the concrete, screeching sound echoing in the area.  
Baekhyun changed direction, going toward an even less inhabited area.  
“And where are we going?” Chanyeol asked him worried.  
“So many questions, Park boy. I will bring you home before sunrise, no need to fret” he replied briefly, clicking his tongue, annoyed.  
Of all the things happened that week and the ones that still had to come, Baekhyun really didn’t know how he would arrive to Sunday.  
Not only for the police, but because decided to pick up Chanyeol with him.  
He could have told Minseok to bring him away.  
But no, he had to try and be the hero of the situation.  
“You know that this is abduction?” Chanyeol whispered and Baekhyun frown got deeper.  
“Do you want me to stop somewhere and drop you off? I won’t bring you home now, though. It’s too dangerous” he replied, tone low and hard, almost finishing his patience.  
Chanyeol frowned briefly before shaking his head.  
“Then shut the fuck up and be patient” he concluded, focusing again on the streets and on choosing the less congested ways.  
They briefly stop only at a gas station and then when Baekhyun decided that they were far enough and, after waiting a bit more, he could drive Chanyeol back.  
The trip was silent.  
So silent that Baekhyun focused on the low noises of the engine just not to think about anything else.  
He stopped near a small harbor, almost thirty minutes distance from Seoul.  
Baekhyun exited, breathing in the night air and lighting himself up a cigarette.  
Chanyeol exited too, stare going to the sky that was slightly changing color.  
“The night is almost over” he whispered and Baekhyun puffed out some smoke.  
“You will be home before dawn” he repeated, shaking his head and sighing deeply.  
There was another small silence and then Chanyeol sighed too.  
“I’m sorry” he whispered and Baekhyun frowned shortly, perplexed.  
“About?” he retorted, smoking slowly and feeling the burning comfort of nicotine filling his lungs.  
He needed it after that night.  
Chanyeol shook his head, finally meeting his stare with Baekhyun’s.  
“Avoiding you. I shouldn’t have. It was pretty rude of me, after your kindness” he explained shortly and Baekhyun chuckled briefly, shaking his head.  
“Park boy, you have all the reasons to avoid me. No need to be sorry” he noted, shrugging his shoulders and smoking the last of his cigarette before making it vanish in his ashtray.  
Chanyeol frowned softly.  
“I don’t have, actually…” he whispered but Baekhyun smiled softly at him, leaning his arms on the top of the Skyline.  
“You have plenty, trust me. You wouldn’t be in a dangerous situation like this, for example. And you would be in your bed sleeping” he noted and before Chanyeol could reply something, he chuckled again this time lowly.  
“It’s better if you avoid me” he concluded even if it hurt himself saying it.  
He wanted to know more about Chanyeol.  
Wanted to know who he was, what he was doing in his life.  
He had a soft spot for him, and it wasn’t a good thing.  
Chanyeol’s stare was immediately on him, perplexed but Baekhyun forced another smile.  
“Come on, Park boy. Let me drive you home so that you can sleep at least few hours before your first class” he concluded sitting once again inside the Skyline and Chanyeol imitated his gesture, worry tinting his stare.  
“I have some music if you are not up to talking and the silence still plagues you” he whispered turning on the engine and Chanyeol nodded briefly.  
Baekhyun pressed some buttons on his radio, that seemed more a music console, but nothing too professional.  
“Hope you are fine with jazz” he concluded driving off on the notes of Baker.  
Chanyeol hummed softly.  
“I didn’t think you were a jazz fan?” Chanyeol observed before humming along the melody and Baekhyun smiled softly.  
“Almost no one knows, so keep it a thing between us, ‘kay?” he whispered in reply and Chanyeol nodded shortly, closing his eyes and leaning his head on the window.  
In less than two minutes, he was fast asleep and Baekhyun shook his head incredulous.  
How in the world did they pass from I wouldn’t survive a minute with you driving this car to I can comfortably sleep in your car while you drive as you usually would?  
And Chanyeol’s sleeping profile was so soft and gentle that Baekhyun wanted to ruffle his hair and kiss his cheeks.  
He felt soft inside every time he was around Chanyeol.  
He sighed deeply, focusing on the streets, shaking his head again.  
After that night, things would be different.  
Chanyeol would focus on the things of his life, starting again avoiding Baekhyun and everything would be normal again.  
Even if Baekhyun didn’t want that night to end, driving that way until the end of the world, he simply drove Chanyeol’s back to the university.  
He stopped in front of it, turning off the engine.  
“Park” he whispered, calling Chanyeol that didn’t even flinch.  
“Park boy” he tried again poking his cheeks with a finger and Chanyeol tried to turn on the side, probably not realizing that he was still tied with the safety belt.  
“Ouch” he complained pressing his fingers on his hipbones and Baekhyun snorted, shaking his head.  
“We are here, sleeping beauty” he stated nodding toward the building near them, and Chanyeol nodded briefly, trying to stretch his legs without much success.  
“You are too tall, Park boy” Baekhyun noted and Chanyeol hummed, fingers carding through his hair and staring toward Baekhyun.  
“Which is you real name?” Chanyeol asked him suddenly, stare not leaving Baekhyun’s face.  
“Park, I…” he started but Chanyeol shook his head shortly.  
“Don’t put this distance between us” he whispered, voice barely audible and it was almost a plea, something Baekhyun couldn’t refuse.  
He frowned again before sighing deeply.  
“Baekhyun. Byun Baekhyun” he stated and Chanyeol showed him the cutest and sweetest smile Baekhyun ever saw.  
“Thank you” Chanyeol concluded, finally unfastening his safety belt and opening the door.  
“See you next time, Baekhyun-hyung?” he asked him and Baekhyun thought he would die of softness.  
Because how could someone be this cute and make his heart flutter at this age?  
“See you next time, Park boy. Sleep tight and don’t put yourself in strange situation with shady guys” he joked and Chanyeol laughed shortly.  
“Shadier than you? Impossible” he replied, smile never leaving his face, and Baekhyun chuckled briefly before waiving at him.  
Chanyeol waived back and entered the building, disappearing from Baekhyun’s sight.  
Baekhyun sighed again.  
Better go home and sleep few hours too if he wanted to really survive that awful week-end.

  
He totally forgot that he had to cover the morning shift, so at seven his alarm beeped, bringing him back to the living world way too early than expected.  
In total he slept two hours and few minutes.  
He took a shower, had breakfast and while he was walking to work, Baekbom called him.  
“Morning! I called you to know if you are still a free man or if I have to bring you oranges in jail” he declared happily and Baekhyun chuckled shortly.  
“They said something on TV?” he asked briefly and Baekbom replied affirmatively.  
“I’m fine, no worries” Baekhyun added and Baekbom sighed in relief.  
“Hope you are learnt your lesson?” he insisted but Baekhyun snorted.  
“It wasn’t the first time, you know? And this won’t stop me” he added and Baekbom sighed but he wasn’t perplexed by his brother resolutions.  
They greeted briefly and then Baekhyun went to work.  
It was a peaceful morning, with a bit grey weather that menaced rain, but nothing different from usual.  
At the shift end, he went home and slept few hours more in prevision of that night.  
When the alarm rang again, he sat up, taking another shower and wondering what were fitting clothes for that night.  
He stared at his closet wondering if black jeans and a flowery shirt would still be fine for that kind of club.  
In the end he kept the black jeans but opted for a satin black shirt.  
Black on black was never a mistake.  
He put also some make up on and a bit of that expensive cologne that his brother gave him the past Christmas and he never used.  
He went to pick Sehun up at nine o’ clock with his i10 instead of the Skyline as promised.  
“Hyung, almost didn’t recognized you!” Sehun stated staring at him perplexed.  
Baekhyun chuckled shaking his head and making him gesture to enter the car.  
“Let’s go and I hope it will be worth the hassle” he declared, winking at him and Sehun smiled softly.  
“It will if you help me score a date out with Irene?” he finally stated declaring his intention for that night and Baekhyun’s eyes went wider in perplexity before he could chuckle shaking his head.  
“So this was your final intent!” he observed and Sehun blushed softly nodding.  
Baekhyun drove them there, parking in front of the club and astonished at all the queue forming at the entrance.  
“We have to…?” he started asking Sehun, who shook his head showing him two VIP tickets and Baekhyun frowned briefly before nodding shortly.  
“Let’s go then” he concluded and exited the car, entering the club.  
The lights were suffused, mainly blue and green, and a low beat exited from the loudspeakers.  
There were less people than previewed inside and it wasn’t difficult to find Irene, who waived softly seeing Baekhyun.  
“Baek!” she greeted him and Baekhyun smiled at her, softly.  
“You look beautiful, Irene” he commented and she smiled at him, stare enquiring Baekhyun’s whole being.  
“I could say the same. I always see you in gym clothes… Never thought you were like this?” she added and Baekhyun chuckled, shaking his head.  
“May I introduce you one of my best hapkido apprentices, Sehun?” Baekhyun asked her and she smiled toward Sehun.  
“Irene, nice to meet you” she greeted and Sehun smiled at her charmingly.  
They sat together and started to talk a bit and the club started to be crowded than before, more people coming inside.  
“I’ll go take another drink. Take your time here” Baekhyun told them and they both nodded shortly, waiving shortly at him.  
Baekhyun sighed softly, pushing his way through the people up to the bar counter.  
“Gin tonic, please” he ordered to the bartender and putting the money on the counter.  
“Coming” he replied and Baekhyun sat there shortly, pondering on his life and on his choices because… he was so damn tired and wanted to sleep oh so much, but he decided to escort Sehun nevertheless.  
And now he knew that Sehun clicked well with Irene, so it wasn’t exactly the case the go back to where they were sitting.  
So… what would he do for the rest of the evening?  
“Here you go, sir” the bartender told him, giving him the drink and taking the money.  
Baekhyun sighed softly, sipping it.  
Few persons neared him asking him if he wanted to dance but he politely refused and only after his fourth drink, something heated the evening up.  
There were some people gathering in the corner of the club, suspected and Baekhyun raised his eyebrow, worried.  
He walked over there and tried to understand what was happening.  
“Come on, pretty boy, boss really like you. Come with us” one of the men said and Baekhyun frowned deeply, clearly getting the point of the whole situation.  
“Sirs, I think pretty boy is not willing to go with you” he stated louder and two of the men he had in front of him moved revealing that pretty boy wasn’t anyone but Chanyeol, who sat on a puff near Jondae.  
Baekhyun had to gather all his strength not to punch those men and the also Jondae and Chanyeol for being the worst place possible.  
“And you are?” one of the men asked him and Baekhyun smirked softly.  
“I was having a boring evening, want to spice it up with me in the back alley?” he asked them and the first one wanted to reply but the other shook his head.  
“Maybe it’s not a great idea…” he started saying and Baekhyun almost growled toward them, martial stand kicking in.  
But in that moment, another of them intervened.  
“No, thank you. I know you… You are that hapkido guy that defeated also boss?” he stated and Baekhyun smiled softly toward him, stare icily pointed on them.  
“If you know it, don’t test my patience and leave these kids alone” he concluded, glaring at them who went away immediately.  
Jondae whistled in appreciation but Baekhyun’s stare was worried on both of them.  
“What the hell are you two doing here?” he asked them angry, taking a puff and seating with them, fingers carding through his hair in exasperation.  
He couldn’t quite explain all the feelings that passed through his mind, and lungs, when he realized that the pretty boy they were referring to was Chanyeol.  
“Jondae’s research…” Chanyeol started to explain and Baekhyun sighed deeply.  
“And didn’t it cross your mind that if Sehunnie asked me to escort him here, maybe there was a reason?” he asked them and they both shook their head.  
“This club is notable for illegal matters. And for rapes” Baekhyun stated icily, gesturing one of the waiters and asking him for a drink, this time whiskey on the rock.  
Chanyeol frown, stare worried immediately moving toward Jondae who frowned too.  
“Sehunnie didn’t ask me because he has a soft spot for me, but because I’m black belt of hapkido” he added and Jondae’s stare was guilty, shaking his head softly.  
“I didn’t think it was this dangerous” he whispered and Baekhyun sighed briefly, thanking the waiter that brought him the whiskey and paying for it.  
There was a small silence during which Baekhyun almost drink all his drink, trying to calm himself down.  
“Where is Sehun?” Chanyeol asked him and Baekhyun gestured toward the other side of the club.  
“He’s trained. And he’s with Irene one of the best female martial artist I know” he replied and both Chanyeol and Jondae sighed in relief.  
“If hyung knows you came here, boy, you are dead” Baekhyun added and Jondae frowned again.  
“Actually, I called him because I didn’t know what was better to do…” he started and in that moment, Minseok appeared from the crowd.  
“Oh heavens, you could have told me that B was with you!” he exclaimed super worried, sweating buckets, and Baekhyun greeted him shortly.  
“It’s a coincidence. I wasn’t here when Kim boy called you” he added and Minseok frowned, worried stare going to Jondae.  
“Come on, we have things to settle here” Minseok stated toward Jondae who nodded shortly, sitting up and going away with Minseok, leaving Chanyeol with Baekhyun.  
“Are you okay?” Baekhyun asked him briefly and Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
“Jondae always pull me in these weird situations…” he whispered and Baekhyun smiled softly.  
“We all have that friend. The important thing is that they didn’t touch you” he concluded, finally looking at Chanyeol and, damn, it was all except pretty.  
The first adjective that came to Baekhyun’s mind was: hot.  
He had a black shirt with flower decors and short sleeves and a pair of jeans so tight that it was almost like he didn’t had them on.  
Baekhyun had to force his stare away again, pushing as far as possible all the thoughts that passed through his mind in that moment.  
“No, they didn’t. Thank you for…” he started but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“Next time, call me. I’ll be there whenever you need it for whatever you may need” he interrupted him serious, and Chanyeol’s stare was immediately on him, perplexed.  
They stared at each other in silence and then Chanyeol inhaled deeply.  
“Whatever?” he asked him softly and Baekhyun simply nodded.  
“You have just to ask” he added, emptying his glass and putting it on the small table between them.  
“Bring me out of here” Chanyeol whispered and Baekhyun sat up, stretching his hand toward Chanyeol.  
“Let’s go, Park boy” he concluded and Chanyeol took his hand letting Baekhyun guiding him outside the club.  
Chanyeol’s hand was warm and soft in his and Baekhyun felt like in a dream until they were outside.  
He stopped in front of his i10 and gestured Chanyeol to sit in.  
“It brings me up memories…” Chanyeol whispered and Baekhyun chuckled softly.  
“Should I drive you home?” he asked Chanyeol, going toward the driver seat but Chanyeol shook his head briefly.  
“To the harbor, I need some fresh air before going back” he replied sitting in and pulling at the belt.  
Baekhyun stared at him shortly before smiling again.  
“Sure” he granted, starting the engine and driving them off until the harbor.  
They sat on the quay and Chanyeol started pointing at the sky explaining Baekhyun what they were seeing.  
Once again it was so charming and Baekhyun always thought that the sky was an interesting matter, but with Chanyeol explaining things to him, it was even huger and more captivating.  
“Am I annoying you again, right?” Chanyeol whispered but Baekhyun shook his head, enthralled by the knowledge of the boy.  
“You… know so many things on the sky and it’s fascinating” Baekhyun replied shortly shifting briefly the stare toward Chanyeol that smiled shily, blush lightly tinting his cheeks.  
“I’m studying for it, so yes, I know few things” he whispered and Baekhyun chuckled, shaking his head.  
“You always underestimate yourself this much, Park?” he asked him briefly and Chanyeol shook his head softly.  
“Only when I’m around talented people as you” he replied and Baekhyun’s eyes went wider in perplexity and then he smiled, tilting his head on the side.  
“I’m not… talented. I’m just good at…” he started but Chanyeol stopped him too.  
“And you? Do you always underestimate yourself this much, hyung?” he asked him and Baekhyun shifted his stare away, almost embarrassed.  
“I…” he started again, staring back to Chanyeol, trying to find a reply, even not necessarily a sassy or bold one like his usual, but Chanyeol looked at him softly, smiling so sweetly that Baekhyun couldn’t shift his stare away, losing all his words for an instant.  
“You…” Chanyeol started too, leaning almost imperceptibly in.  
Baekhyun could almost see the stars reflected in Chanyeol’s glasses and in his eyes.  
It felt almost magical and Chanyeol was a miracle under that starry sky.  
However, in a moment, whatever was happening was interrupted by Baekhyun’s phone that rang in his pocket.  
Baekhyun shifted his stare away, extracting his phone from the pocket and Chanyeol fixed his glasses on his nose, coughing shortly.  
On the screen there was Sehun ID and Baekhyun sighed shortly.  
He went away without telling Sehun anything.  
“Sehunnie?” he asked and Sehun chuckled on the other end of the line.  
“Hyung? I’m going home with Irene, where are you?” he asked him and Baekhyun sighed in relief.  
“I’ll go home in a while too. Enjoy your evening and remember… safety before everything” he concluded and Sehun almost choked on the phone before greeting him and ending the call.  
Also Chanyeol’s cheeks were slightly red at the mention.  
“Do you have to go?” Chanyeol asked him but Baekhyun shook his head, briefly.  
“We still have a bit of time, if you are not tired” he replied and Chanyeol smiled softly, nodding.  
The magic from before wasn’t there anymore but Baekhyun enjoyed listening to Chanyeol’s explanations nevertheless.  
From the constellations, they shifted to mythology, since most of the constellations were related especially to Roman-Greek history and mythology and Baekhyun realized that he would have listened to Chanyeol’s elaborations all day.  
They sat there until Baekhyun started shivering because it was getting colder and Chanyeol noticed it immediately.  
“Let’s go. It’s starting to get colder” he whispered and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
In the car he also turned on the heating system, missing his gloves.  
Baekhyun drove him until the same place where he always escorted him.  
Chanyeol was about to say something when Baekhyun inhaled deeply.  
He knew that he would regret what he was about to say oh so much but after that evening, maybe he didn’t actually care about consequences.  
Because he enjoyed his time with Chanyeol.  
He wanted to know more about him.  
“Let me drive you to Gyeongju” he stated briefly, stare meeting Chanyeol’s perplexed one, and it wasn’t an actual request.  
It was a let’s go together there.  
“Hyung, it’s far from here and you wouldn’t want to…” he started but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“Next weekend. I will come with this instead of the Skyline so it will be a quieter trip” he proposed and Chanyeol chuckled softly, shaking his head.  
“Okay, fine. Let’s go” he concluded and Baekhyun smiled at him softly.  
“I’ll text you the time?” he added and Chanyeol frowned briefly.  
“That imply that you already have my number?” he inquired worried and Baekhyun chuckled shaking his head.  
“I’m asking it to you now” he replied and Chanyeol blushed, nodding and taking his phone out of his pocket.  
They exchanged contacts and Baekhyun smiled at him again.  
“Let’s see next weekend then, if hyung don’t pull up another evening out?” Baekhyun whispered and Chanyeol fixed his glasses before nodding.  
“Thank you, hyung” he replied and Baekhyun chuckled.  
“It’s fine only Baekhyun, Park boy” he stated and Chanyeol hummed in thought.  
“So you will call me with my first name instead of Park boy?” he asked him back, exiting the car and Baekhyun nodded.  
“Whatever make you feel better” he replied and Chanyeol smiled at him gently.  
“Good luck for tomorrow’s tournament” he declared and Baekhyun’s eyes went wider in perplexity.  
He didn’t think that Chanyeol listened to that part too?  
And that he would remember about it.  
“Thanks. See you next weekend, Chanyeol” he concluded and Chanyeol blushed again waiving at him and going back to the building.  
Baekhyun felt his cheeks burning.  
He had it really soft for Chanyeol.  
And what was happening that evening?  
What would have happened if Sehun didn’t phone him?  
He pushed away those thoughts because he didn’t need it to imagine it.  
Because he almost felt it in Chanyeol’s perfume and in his warmth by Baekhyun at the harbor.  
And he feared it.  
It wasn’t supposed to be.  
Baekhyun had to be careful around Chanyeol.  
Chanyeol was simply a good boy, too kind for his own good and Baekhyun didn’t deserve any of his time, attentions or whatever else.

  
Strangely enough, the evening with Chanyeol charged back Baekhyun’s batteries and on Saturday tournament won another second place, only after Tao again.  
From Sunday and on, Baekhyun lived every single day waiting for the weekend.  
He informed himself on the distance between Seoul and Gyeongju and he discovered that there was the oldest observatory over there, reason why Chanyeol wanted to go there.  
It was around three hours drive, nothing too difficult, but going away with the i10 he couldn’t guarantee the same reduction of time he could declare with the Skyline.  
But the i10 would cost him less in gasoline so…  
On Friday evening, after his shift at the mini-mart, after curry ramen and after a shower, he decided to type a message to Chanyeol.

[10:23PM] To: Chanyeol Starboy Park  
Are you still up to that trip to Gyeongju?

He didn’t even have the time to check if it was sent correctly that the read mark appeared, as well as the typing points.

[10:24M] From: Chanyeol Starboy Park  
Thought you forgot about it.  
Just tell me if you prefer tomorrow or Sunday.

Were the replies and Baekhyun hummed in thought before considering what he had to do.  
Not knowing if Chanyeol preferred Saturday or Sunday, he took both days off.  
But on Monday he had something to do… so maybe it would be better Saturday.  
Or maybe Sunday?

[10:27PM] To: Chanyeol Starboy Park  
No preferences at all?

[10:28PM] From: Chanyeol Starboy Park  
Saturday? Usually it’s better for this kind of things?

And Baekhyun hummed shortly before typing that he was fine with Saturday too and he would pick him up at nine, same place.  
He was excited for that trip and yet afraid that something, everything could go wrong.  
Also because that attraction, and maybe also those feelings, he had toward Chanyeol weren’t… right.  
Even if they had the same age, they came from two different worlds and what would Chanyeol’s parents think if they knew about Chanyeol going around with someone as Baekhyun?  
He sighed deeply, laying on the bed, turning on his side and closing his eyes.  
Whatever.  
For how much Baekhyun knew, Chanyeol was interested in Jongin and Baekhyun’s company was only a… collateral friendship.  
He sighed again forcing his thoughts away, trying not to spoil the enjoyment for the following day.

  
The next day, at nine o’ clock he was out of Astronomy Department, smoking inside the car.  
“You will make it stinks for forever” Chanyeol stated and Baekhyun chuckled shaking his head.  
“I have the windows open. And where is your argument it’s not my car from last time?” he asked him and Chanyeol smiled softly at him.  
“Can I put this on the rear seats?” Chanyeol asked him, showing a big thermo-bag and Baekhyun frowned, nodding shortly.  
“What the…?” he asked when Chanyeol finally sat near him and smiled widely at him.  
“Food. And something hot to drink” he replied proudly and Baekhyun shook his head, chuckling.  
“You came prepared” he stated and Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
“Can we go then?” Baekhyun finally asked him and Chanyeol nodded, fastening his belt.  
During the trip, Chanyeol explained him why they were going there and how was the history behind the observatory of Gyeongju.  
And Baekhyun came to know a lot of things of Chanyeol too.  
Like how his parents owned an Italian restaurant outside Seoul central area.  
Or that he always had glasses since middle school.  
That he always wanted to be an astronaut, but due to his sight problems he decided to follow the astronomical career.  
He was fascinating by bright shiny things in the sky and that he could spend hours outside on a starry night without even realizing that a single minute passed.  
Everything about Chanyeol was fascinating.  
His story, his passion, his antics and way of speaking, how he adjusted his glasses when he was nervous.  
And Baekhyun would have listen to his low voice or look at him for hours straight.  
They reached the place with around twenty minutes prior Baekhyun’s expectations.  
He had to revalue his i10.  
It wasn’t his Skyline but was a great city car.  
Chanyeol was like a kid in a theme park.  
Taking pictures of everything and pulling Baekhyun around showing him things and places and oh heavens Baekhyun is that the most ancient sundial ever invented in Korea?  
Baekhyun didn’t have to use patience to stand Chanyeol, because the only idea of seeing Chanyeol that happy, warmed Baekhyun’s heart and he didn’t need patience anymore.  
He followed him around all day, following his reasonings and providing with comments or questions, without rushing Chanyeol up.  
Everything was about following Chanyeol’s tempo around the area.  
The only moment when Baekhyun stopped him was when Chanyeol’s stomach was grumbling.  
“Let’s go back to the car and eat something, what do you say?” he asked him and Chanyeol nodded shortly, following Baekhyun back to the car.  
They sat on the back seats and Chanyeol pulled out a full course meal.  
Baekhyun was startled by so much food.  
There was rice, pork curry, stir-fried vegetables, fried eggs with kimchi and even rice cakes for dessert.  
“Did you cook all of this?” he asked marveled toward Chanyeol that nodded shortly.  
“Yesterday, when you wrote me that message, I went and buy some things and then used the dorm’s kitchen to cook a bit” he replied honestly and Baekhyun stared at him in an awe.  
“Sandwiches were fine too…” he whispered but Chanyeol shook his head, chuckling.  
“I just hope it will suit your taste?” he commented and Baekhyun nodded shortly, starting to halve the food between him and Chanyeol.  
The rice with the pork curry was delicious and Baekhyun finished his half in a second.  
“It’s… too good, Chanyeol” he hummed in contentment, dividing also the vegetables and the eggs, starting to eat his own part.  
It was a while since last time he ate with someone and especially with that much gusto.  
“Ah, I’m full. Thanks for the lunch” he concluded feeling satisfied and the warmth of all those delicious things, warming up also his cheeks.  
“What to wait a bit before starting walking around again?” Chanyeol asked him but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“No, we don’t have too much time” he replied and Chanyeol nodded briefly, packing all the empty dishes back again to the thermo-bag.  
“Let’s go then” he concluded and they started their visit again, visiting the museum and all the activities connected to the observatory.  
There was also a planetarium and Chanyeol didn’t have to insist at all to convince Baekhyun to enter with him.  
They sat fascinated inside seeing the skies changing and showing them different constellations depending on the season and on the years from that point in the world.  
And there also was an interesting brief explanation of how astronomy developed around the world mainly in Europe and Asia.  
Baekhyun followed it interested and it was a while since he felt like a teenager again.  
Due to his not-so-legal past, Baekhyun was forced to grow up way faster than his same-age.  
And it came with pros and cons obviously.  
However, being there with Chanyeol, made him feel young again.  
Like maybe he could have another possibility too, despite all that happened in his life.  
When they exited, he felt melancholic but he didn’t had much time to ponder about it because he came to know an unexpected information.  
The only street where they came from was closed because it passed through a big bridge that was closed when the wind was too strong since, during the night, it was too dangerous to drive around in that conditions.  
Apparently, it wasn’t so unexpected as Baekhyun would think, since the inhabitant knew about it pretty well.  
“What do we do?” Chanyeol asked him worried, fixing the glasses on his nose, and Baekhyun shrugged his shoulders.  
“Let’s stay for the night?” he proposed like it was the most obvious and only thing to do in that moment, making Chanyeol frown softly.  
“It’s not exactly in my financial…” he started briefly making Baekhyun sigh shortly, shaking his head.  
“Let’s go and no need to worry. I won’t let you sleep in the car” he concluded walking toward a small inn.  
Always apparently, thanks to the sudden closure of the street, almost every inn and hotel in the small town was booked and finding a place to stay resulted more difficult than expected.  
Baekhyun managed to find only a local inn that still had a room available.  
“It would be fine for tonight” he whispered and Chanyeol hummed briefly.  
Even if, as per one of those cliched movie that surely Baekbom’s wife liked so much, it had only a king size bed.  
Baekhyun found ironic how life was putting him through the hardest hassles while he tried to be a good person and behave.  
“I’m afraid that it’s the very last. You know, usually a lot of couple come here more than… friends” the old woman at the reception told to Baekhyun who rose his stare toward Chanyeol that nodded shortly.  
“There’s no problem for me” he replied and Baekhyun sighed deeply, nodding toward the old woman.  
It was like the world or maybe the whole universe was planning against Baekhyun.  
What was he thinking when he decided that it was a great idea to invite Chanyeol to Gyeongju?  
It was really testing Baekhyun’s resolutions.  
Sleeping in the same bed with Chanyeol could meant only trouble.  
And with trouble, he meant trouble.  
Because how could Baekhyun resist the temptation to touch him while having him there so near and yet so far?  
He sighed shortly, paying for the stay and retrieving the key.  
“I’m sorry” Chanyeol stated once they entered the small room and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“It was my idea to come here” he replied taking off his jacket and putting it on the back of the chair.  
The room was not too big but nice.  
Big fluffy bed, a huge window that faced toward the sea and a small bathroom.  
“Let’s look for something around here to eat” Baekhyun added extracting his phone from his pockets and Chanyeol nodded.  
“And… don’t you have someone you have to call informing them that you will stay away for the night?” Baekhyun asked him, making Chanyeol chuckle softly.  
“I’m not a kid anymore, you know. And I think it’s better if my parents think I’m in the dorm” he replied briefly, stare moving on his phone screen and Baekhyun simply hummed.  
Definitely better the dorm that in a hotel room with only a bed with someone as Baekhyun.  
“I… will wait for you outside. I’m in need of a cigarette while you decide what you are up to eat tonight” he concluded and exited the room even before Chanyeol could tell him anything.  
He leant on the wall outside and light up a cigarette, smoking slowly, closing his eyes, trying to focus on that evening.  
Chanyeol was… unpredictable.  
A whole mystery to Baekhyun so whatever he could consider right or fine to do in order to remain in the friend zone, could potentially change in whatever moment depending on how Chanyeol would behave.  
And yet Chanyeol was so charming to Baekhyun.  
He would give everything for being able to touch him freely and with the younger consent.  
Baekhyun sighed again, pressing the end of the cigarette on his ashtray just in time to see Chanyeol exit from the inn.  
“There’s a fast food a little bit further this way. Or a Japanese restaurant or…” he started saying and Baekhyun forced a smile.  
“Your choice. For me is the same” he replied but Chanyeol frowned shortly, continuing to scroll on the screen of his phone, undecided.  
And when after two minutes there wasn’t any reply, Baekhyun sighed again, patting Chanyeol’s shoulder.  
“What about sushi? You like it?” he asked him and Chanyeol hummed briefly but there was something going on in his head and Baekhyun frowned.  
“What is the problem? You are not hungry?” he inquired again but as reply, Chanyeol’s stomach grumbled again.  
Baekhyun sighed shortly.  
“If it’s for the money…” he started and Chanyeol pressed his lips in a thin line, and Baekhyun understood that it was exactly that the problem.  
“You don’t need to worry. You are still a student, I’m doing three jobs and one of them pay me really well even if it’s not exactly legal. And as it is not sufficient, it’s my fault we are blocked here. So, start leading the way toward this Japanese restaurant” he declared decide to go there and it was final.  
Chanyeol tried to complain but Baekhyun ignored him starting to walk toward a random direction.  
“Not that way” Chanyeol whispered and Baekhyun smiled shortly at him, gesturing him to show the way.  
They walked slowly in silence, the only sound was the strong wind that blew on all the city.  
“You… you said three works?” Chanyeol started briefly and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“As you know, I’m the owner of a mini-mart. And I drive at night. However, I’m also teaching hapkido” he replied and Chanyeol was fascinated by the reply.  
“I did miss the hapkido part. I thought you only practiced it” he observed and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“My parents wanted me to be a good person with a lot of skill when I was younger. They never thought I would have become… this” he added shifting his stare away and thinking to past happenings.  
His parents always considered Baekbom and he as equal.  
Piano lessons for both.  
Hapkido lessons for both.  
Expensive schools for both.  
But Baekhyun didn’t like doing things rightly.  
He loved competition.  
He started participating to small underground tournament when he was fifteen.  
Hapkido was way more useful that way that not practiced in schools and gyms.  
And when he started winning, and winning big, in those small tournaments he started to aim higher.  
Seoul underground life was oh so full of things for Baekhyun to try and to master.  
His parents tried to impose him some rules that he wanted to respect, so Baekhyun rented a small apartment near where he still lived with the money he earnt from the tournaments, that were way more than he would ever admit, also to his brother.  
Baekhyun didn’t particularly care about anything if not doing what he liked.  
He simply liked to do what he did.  
He started to attend bigger tournaments and also underground parties with a fake ID.  
At eighteen, everyone in the underground panorama knew about him.  
And they even bet on him.  
It was at one of those tournaments that he met Minseok.  
He talked about racing and asked him if he wanted to try.  
When Baekhyun told him that the maximum that he could drive was a motorcycle, and even without license, Minseok offered to teach him.  
And he did.  
Everything Baekhyun knew in the start it was thanks to Minseok.  
Baekhyun drove his first official race at the age of twenty with Minseok’s old Camaro Firebird, winning with an overwhelming lead on the others.  
At that point, it was clear that it was like his parents only had an only son, Baekbom.  
Baekbom was the perfect son.  
Righteous, always on point, attending university, with a nice girlfriend that later became his wife.  
Baekhyun instead was… rude.  
He was always sleeping around with different person, never actually forging a bond with nobody, with an unregulated lifestyle.  
Sleeping hours can vary from two to twelve per night depending on how tired he was.  
The same goes for eating.  
He regularly changed his hair color and had his ear pierced twice.  
Not to mention the fact that he didn’t attend university and he didn’t have a fixed job.  
To please his brother that continued to stress him out with him having a job, he bought the mini-mart, but only after buying his first and only car the Skyline, and he started working there, hiring also part-timers to cover the shifts he couldn’t do.  
And thanks to his brother, he started doing also the teaching job at the Hapkido gym.  
He was kind of grateful to his brother for trying to redeem him to finally reunite their family but Baekhyun already had his type of life and he wouldn’t leave tournaments, let alone races, anytime soon.  
Chanyeol frowned deeply at his this and wanted to comment but they stopped in front of the restaurant.  
“Let’s enter that the wind is getting even stronger” Baekhyun stated, nearing the automatic doors that opened in front of him, letting them enter.  
The restaurant was nice and the food good, but what Baekhyun liked even more was Chanyeol’s company.  
He told him things about university, about the music he liked, about how he hoped to discover something new too even if apparently everything was already discovered and Baekhyun could listen to him for forever.  
Chanyeol’s voice was pleasant and his arguments nice to listen to.  
“I ate too much, I feel like exploding” Chanyeol whined at the end of the dinner, making Baekhyun chuckle softly, shaking his head.  
“Let’s drink something on it?” he proposed and Chanyeol nodded briefly.  
Baekhyun paid for the dinner and they moved to a bar near there, where they sat at the counter, ordering a drink.  
“Who would have thought that you can also play piano” Chanyeol stated perplexed while they were talking about music and Baekhyun shook his head shortly.  
“I used to. It’s about six years since last time I played something” he replied staring at the bottom of his glass.  
He already finished two drinks but he needed to remain alert if he wanted not to do strange things to Chanyeol that night.  
“It’s a pity because playing an instrument is such a nice thing” Chanyeol commented ordering another drink and Baekhyun frowned shortly.  
“Slow down, boy. You don’t want to wake up with a hungover tomorrow, right?” he asked him but Chanyeol shrugged his shoulder.  
“I’m already doing something I shouldn’t. I don’t see the problem…” he replied emptying half of his drink in a gulp.  
Baekhyun shifted his stare away, fingers gripping harder on the glass.  
Something he shouldn’t – he repeated in his mind and there wasn’t anything to think about.  
Being with Baekhyun wasn’t something he was supposed to do.  
And after another more drink, Baekhyun really questioned his choices in life.  
Couldn’t he simply suggested to go back to the inn after dinner?  
Why did he have to suggest a drink?  
Chanyeol could barely walk alone, definitely drunk more than tipsy, leaning on Baekhyun all the way back to the inn.  
“Lay down, I’ll bring you a glass of water” Baekhyun whispered him, when they entered their room.  
“But you are so fresh” Chanyeol whispered pressing his cheek on Baekhyun’s that had to use all his strength and auto control not to squeeze his cheeks and kiss him senseless.  
“And you are too hot. Can you take off your jacket without making a mess or do you…?” Baekhyun started but Chanyeol obeyed even too quickly and even too much.  
He didn’t take off only his jacket but also his sweater and wanted to take off also his t-shirt but Baekhyun stopped him, hands stopping Chanyeol’s on the hem of his t-shirt.  
“Don’t” he whispered, gripping slightly harder on Chanyeol’s hands but he shook his head softly.  
“Wouldn’t it be right?” he asked briefly, leaning in, toward Baekhyun and Baekhyun could really simply pull him down and kiss him.  
Letting him take off his t-shirt and hold him on that bed like he maybe never held anyone else before.  
And he wanted it oh so much.  
Because Chanyeol was so alluring and so tempting, his perfume so strangely sweet that Baekhyun would have simply need to nod and he would be his for that night.  
However, Baekhyun shook his head.  
Because it wasn’t right.  
It was already a problem that Chanyeol was there, alone, with him.  
And Baekhyun didn’t have simply physical attraction for him.  
It wasn’t only a matter of sex.  
There were… feelings he started to have for him and that weren’t supposed to be to start with.  
Baekhyun wasn’t the kind of man Chanyeol needed in his life.  
He could potentially ruin everything Chanyeol built with so many sacrifices in his life.  
And Chanyeol had too much in consideration his own parents and family and he wouldn’t do anything to disappoint them.  
“It’s not right, Chanyeol. And you are drunk. Just lay down and…” he started but Chanyeol leant in again, pressing his lips on Baekhyun’s hard, messily.  
Baekhyun pressed back, fingers carding in Chanyeol’s hair on the back of his neck, pulling him even down.  
And be damned the right decisions and the good intentions.  
Chanyeol tasted like alcohol and strawberry and Baekhyun couldn’t ask for anything more.  
“You will be the death of me, Chanyeol” he whispered in the kisses, and Chanyeol pressed him back, making him sit on the bed.  
“What should I say?” he asked him back, finally taking away the t-shirt, revealing a wide torso and back, toner than Baekhyun expected.  
Baekhyun’s stare went through all he was seeing and then again on Chanyeol’s face.  
“What do you…?” he started but Chanyeol sat on his laps, leaning in and kissing him again.  
Baekhyun’s hands moved on its own on Chanyeol’s sides, caressing him slowly, making his skin erupting in goosebumps.  
“You are always so sexy and so hot” Chanyeol whispered at his ear and Baekhyun chuckled, moving his lips on Chanyeol’s ears, biting his earlobe, and going down to his neck slowly, sucking a hickey along the way.  
Chanyeol moaned lowly, arching his back and meeting his erection with Baekhyun’s that bit harder on his neck.  
Chanyeol was perfect on his laps and so beautiful and Baekhyun wanted to touch him more and more.  
He not so gently shifted their positions, pining Chanyeol under him.  
“You are so beautiful, Chanyeol” he whispered to his ear, fingers mapping through his torso, reaching his nipples, slightly padding them.  
Chanyeol closed his eyes, biting his lips, repressing a moan.  
“And so sensitive” Baekhyun added kissing his way down to his nipples, licking one of them, testing.  
Chanyeol’s hand pushed in Baekhyun’s hair, gripping softly.  
“Baek…” he called and his voice tone was so erotic that Baekhyun felt his erection growing thicker in his jeans.  
“Tell me what you like” Baekhyun whispered staring at him and Chanyeol shook his head.  
“Whatever. As long as it’s with you” he replied and Baekhyun inhaled sharply, biting his lips.  
Why in the world Chanyeol had to be so sensual and have those effects on him?  
Baekhyun’s hands moved gently toward Chanyeol’s groin, travelling through his collarbones, nipples and abs, earning himself a shiver at each movement.  
“Not to spoiling the moment but did you ever had other…” Baekhyun asked him, palming Chanyeol’s erection and making him groan at the touch.  
“Male partners?” he supplied for him and Baekhyun nodded shortly, starting to unbutton his jeans.  
Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
“Not much, but I had” he replied briefly and Baekhyun bit his lips, humming in thought, pulling down Chanyeol’s jeans and boxer with a swift movement, revealing his already hard erection.  
Chanyeol was so gorgeous naked and aroused under him and Baekhyun wanted to pinch his own cheek just to know that it wasn’t a wet dream.  
“And…” he started, fingers brushing slightly the tip where precum was starting to form, “Have you ever bottomed?” he asked, testing, not sure about Chanyeol’s preferences.  
“J-Just once…” Chanyeol muttered and Baekhyun sighed shortly, standing up and going to retrieve something in his jacket.  
He came back with lube and a condom, throwing them on the bed near Chanyeol.  
“Do you prefer to lay down or on all four?” he asked Chanyeol while he took off his sweater and Chanyeol gulped softly, shaking his head.  
“It’s not the same, Chanyeol” he added before Chanyeol could give him that very same reply.  
Baekhyun stopped him again, fingers gently pushing on Chanyeol’s lips.  
“And neither how I prefer. Because I’m fine with whatever. What suits you better” he continued and Chanyeol hummed briefly in thought.  
“Maybe laying like this is more… comfortable?” he tried and was it just Baekhyun’s impression or Chanyeol didn’t seem to be as drunk as he was before?  
“We can try, yes. Stop me if it hurts” Baekhyun concluded, hovering him once again and kissing his forehead.  
He started again kissing Chanyeol’s neck, slowly, leisurely, descending to his collarbones, nipples and finally hipbones, making Chanyeol shiver.  
He took the small packet of lube and opened it, praying it would suffice.  
Baekhyun learnt at the age of sixteen that it was always a nice idea having with you lube mono doses and a condom.  
One never knows.  
He poured a bit on his index and medium fingers, smearing it between them.  
“Relax for me, won’t you?” Baekhyun asked Chanyeol that nodded shortly and Baekhyun sighed shaking his head, leaning in to kiss him on his nose.  
“Breath, Chanyeol” he whispered, taking Chanyeol’s hand in his and gripping it briefly.  
Chanyeol closed his eyes briefly, inhaling and exhaling deeply and Baekhyun kissed his hand before releasing it and starting to insert a finger inside Chanyeol.  
He was oh so tight and, even if it turned on Baekhyun oh so much, he also knew that he had to take his time and stretch him open carefully if he didn’t want to hurt Chanyeol.  
Chanyeol groaned softly and Baekhyun touched softly Chanyeol’s erection too, trying to ease him.  
“Does silence embarrass you more than if I speak to you?” Baekhyun asked him, moving his finger inside Chanyeol, testing the wetness and deciding before inserting another one in, making Chanyeol moan, this time lower, pushing toward the insertion.  
“I don’t mind either” he replied, voice muffled, and Baekhyun chuckled, shaking his head.  
“You are taking it so well, you know?” he observed softly, moving tentatively his fingers inside Chanyeol, and Chanyeol took a nice shade of red on his cheeks.  
“And you are already so hard…” Baekhyun continued, stroking again his erection and making him thrust in Baekhyun’s hand, that gripped a little harder, making him moan.  
“Baekhyun, you are teasing me, now…” he whispered and Baekhyun leant in, biting again his neck, thrusting inside a third finger, feeling Chanyeol arching his back to meet better his fingers, giving him access to his prostate.  
Baekhyun hit there softly at start, feeling Chanyeol’ hand grip on his arm, biting his lips, and then he hit it with more intent, again and again.  
Chanyeol moaned once more, lowly, asking for more.  
“Please” he whispered and Baekhyun stroke him slightly quicker, matching it with the pace inside him.  
“Ah, Baekhyun, slow down, please” he pleased, voice bare audible, and immediately Baekhyun obeyed.  
“Is there any problem? Am I hurting you?” he asked him, worried but Chanyeol shook his head briefly.  
“I want you inside me” he blurted out and Baekhyun stopped altogether whichever things he was doing to gather all his strengths.  
Because he didn’t know until that very moment but Chanyeol that stated that boldly that he wanted Baekhyun inside himself, was the best turn up for Baekhyun.  
“As you are? Or you prefer other…?” he started but Chanyeol shook again his head.  
“Like this is fine” he replied and Baekhyun nodded slowly pulling out his fingers from Chanyeol who hissed shortly at the friction.  
Baekhyun stood to take off his jeans and boxer.  
He took the foiled package of the condom and pulled it out, rolling it on his erection, using the last bit of lube to pour it on his erection, stroking few times.  
He was so hard he almost hurt.  
Baekhyun caressed gently Chanyeol’s thighs, spreading them a bit and positioning in between.  
Chanyeol was sweaty and beautiful under him, hot and aroused and Baekhyun would have stared at him for forever.  
“As before, stop me if…” he started but Chanyeol pressed a finger on his lips.  
“I know” he whispered and Baekhyun smiled softly, taking his hand in his, and starting to thrust in, meeting a fair, but not too much resistance.  
He thrusted all the way in, feeling it so wet and so tight and… how hot was Chanyeol under him?  
Chanyeol gripped hard on Baekhyun’s hand in his, moaning and Baekhyun caressed his side with the other hand.  
“You are so thick” Chanyeol muttered and Baekhyun gripped harder on his hand too.  
“We have all the time, Chanyeol. Take yours” he replied kissing him on the neck and caressing his side, hand never leaving Chanyeol’s.  
Baekhyun wanted to thrust oh so much inside Chanyeol but patiently waited for Chanyeol’s signal.  
“You can move” Chanyeol groaned softly and Baekhyun started to gently move inside and outside him, thrusting shortly to test Chanyeol’s reactions.  
But Chanyeol took it so well, moaning in reply and gripping harder on Baekhyun’s hand.  
“You are so gorgeous, Chanyeol, and you are taking me so well” Baekhyun whispered in his ear, thrusting harder and slightly pinching Chanyeol’s nipple, who panted shortly, arching his back and taking better Baekhyun’s whole erection, allowing him to hit against his prostate.  
Chanyeol bit his lips, trying to repress a moan but Baekhyun repeated it, once, twice, feeling his own orgasm drawing nearer, asking to be satisfied inside Chanyeol.  
Baekhyun moved his hand to Chanyeol’s erection, stroking it, matching the pace with his thrust and Chanyeol moaned even lower.  
“Baekhyun, please, please” he whispered and Baekhyun nodded shortly thrusting harder inside him, stroking him at the same tempo.  
“Come for me, Chanyeol” Baekhyun panted, feeling Chanyeol squeezing him impossibly hard inside himself.  
And when Baekhyun felt him coming on his hand, he squeezed him even tighter inside himself, making Baekhyun come hard, biting Chanyeol’s neck, trying to contain his voice.  
It was ages since he had an orgasm that powerful.  
He stayed there for a minute trying to regain the sense of reality around him and finally realizing what just happened.  
Baekhyun hated post-coital thoughts.  
They were the worst part of having sex with someone.  
Especially if he had feelings for the said someone.  
And if he knew that he royally screwed up.  
Baekhyun forced his best soft smile, covering all those thoughts up in order not to worry Chanyeol, and kissed Chanyeol’s forehead.  
“Shower?” he proposed and Chanyeol smiled briefly at him, nodding shortly.  
Baekhyun took the utmost care in exiting Chanyeol who hissed briefly but smiled to Baekhyun in the end.  
“You didn’t hurt me, no worries” he reassured him and Baekhyun hummed, wondering how true was that statement.  
Maybe at physical level, he didn’t.  
But what about tomorrow?  
When they will have to face it?  
Would Baekhyun be able to fake it for a simple fling of a night?  
And it was what Chanyeol wanted?  
“Baekhyun?” Chanyeol called him and Baekhyun smiled gently, stretching his hand toward Chanyeol.  
“Let’s go” he concluded pulling him toward the bathroom and the shower.

  
Morning came too early.  
Baekhyun slept around two hours, not able to fall asleep, that night events haunting him deeply.  
However, it seemed that it was all for nothing.  
Chanyeol woke up around eight with the best hungover of the history.  
“I feel like shit” he whispered and Baekhyun forced a small smile.  
“Aspirin?” he proposed, sitting up and going to retrieve it from his jacket.  
“That would be much appreciate” he muttered, closing his eyes.  
“Maybe it’s better if you eat something before taking it” Baekhyun added in thought, but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“I have the hunch that I would throw up” he replied weakly and Baekhyun sighed again.  
“Why drinking this much if you know that these are the outcomes?” he asked giving him the aspirin and glass of water.  
Chanyeol gulped it down with a disgusted face.  
“I don’t know. Worst decision ever, if you want to know. I don’t remember a thing after we left the Japanese restaurant” he whispered and Baekhyun sighed deeply, hand carding in his hair.  
“Really?” he asked him and when Chanyeol nodded, he shook his head.  
He had to tell him that they had sex.  
Chanyeol would have noticed it from the traces that Baekhyun left on his neck and torso.  
Not to mention the dull aches that could follow it.  
“We had sex last night” he stated suddenly, not knowing another way how to tell him and going straight to the point.  
Chanyeol’s head turned at speed light toward Baekhyun.  
“We? Had sex?” he echoed and Baekhyun nodded, head gesturing the marks on Chanyeol’s neck.  
“How…” he started and his eyes went from Baekhyun to his hands but he then shook his head.  
“I don’t want to know” he concluded and Baekhyun sighed again, this time deeper.  
“Chanyeol, it was just…” Baekhyun tried to explain but Chanyeol shook his head once more.  
“Could you simply drive me home?” he asked stare not meeting Baekhyun’s and Baekhyun nodded shortly, picking up his sweater and put it on.  
“Whenever you are ready, we go” he concluded taking also the jacket and exiting the inn and lighting immediately up a cigarette.  
He knew he shouldn’t have.  
It was the worst decision ever.  
But damn if it felt good.  
Chanyeol was a marvel under him, hot and moaning and…  
Baekhyun shook his head, forcing the thoughts away.  
Whatever there was before, couldn’t be anymore.  
And him being friend with Chanyeol became impossible.  
Chanyeol exited too, ten minutes later and shortly gestured him with his head, walking toward the i10.  
The trip back was the longest journey Baekhyun ever did.  
It felt like it lasted thrice the time.  
Baekhyun turned on the radio, remembering that Chanyeol didn’t like the silence, but didn’t try any talk.  
He just drove in silence, stare fixed on the streets.  
Chanyeol didn’t start any discourse either, and Baekhyun respected his silence.  
At least until they reached Seoul, and almost they destination.  
“Listen, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have” Baekhyun whispered when they were almost to the University area and Chanyeol pressed his lips in a thin line.  
“It was just for this right? All the thing of inviting me there and…” Chanyeol started and Baekhyun frowned shaking his head several times.  
“No, obviously no. How can you…” he tried to reply but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“I don’t want to speak about it” he concluded and Baekhyun sighed, fingers carding through his hair.  
He wanted to apologise, to tell him that it wasn’t just a fling of a night.  
That he loved every single instant of that day with him.  
And every second of that night with him.  
That he had feelings for him, like a lot.  
However, it was better like that.  
Chanyeol needed to stay as far as possible from Baekhyun and people like him.  
So maybe that was the “right” way to end things.  
Even if it hurt already so much that Baekhyun knew it would take months to maybe start function normally again.  
Baekhyun parked the car in front of Chanyeol’s Department and turned the engine off.  
What was better to say?  
It was a pleasure?  
See you next time?  
I’m sorry?  
He sighed shortly, shaking his head.  
The only things a reasonable adult would say.  
“Don’t let your friend push you in other shady affairs” he opted for, briefly, almost a whisper and Chanyeol hummed.  
“See you” Chanyeol stated opening the door, exiting the car.  
Baekhyun stared at him walking inside the building and lighted himself a cigarette.  
Nothing could be worse.  
But the thought that it was the best for Chanyeol, kind of eased him.  
Whatever it may happen, Chanyeol would think twice before going with Jondae somewhere again, being it a race or a shady club.

  
However, it revealed not being the best for Baekhyun.  
He completely lost his sleep.  
Baekhyun slept no more than one, maximum two hours per night, taking all the shifts possible to the mini-mart, teaching almost every evening to the hapkido gym and, obviously, accepting every single invitation Minseok sent him.  
He improved his way of driving even more and he became literally undefeated from more than one hundred races.  
Baekhyun got better even in hapkido, being able to advance in rank and defeat more adversaries, also Yixing.  
Tao was still distant, though.  
“Are you sure you are sleeping enough?” Baekbom asked him one day while he was helping him with the inventory of the mini-mart.  
“You don’t need to worry. I’m fine” he replied, forcing a smile.  
He dyed his hair back to simple black and started again using his old earrings.  
He also started attending clubs with Sehun, late in the night, and didn’t refuse nor brawl nor one night sex.  
If there was the one percent that Baekhyun could even slightly redeem part of his soul before, now it vanished in thin air, or better smoke seeing the quantity of cigarettes he started to smoke.  
Chanyeol didn’t go to the races again.  
Or if he was there, Baekhyun didn’t see him.  
Not that he had actually time to think about something.  
He tried his best to fill every second of his wake hours just not to think.  
That night was the same, he arrived to the place Minseok organized the race with another headache, due to heavens knew what.  
“Are you okay?” Minseok asked him, stare worried and Baekhyun nodded shorty.  
“I just have a stupid headache that doesn’t want to leave me alone” he replied and Minseok frowned.  
“Are you sure it’s fine to race tonight?” he inquired and Baekhyun chuckled.  
“Works better than aspirin” he concluded before taking again his Skyline, gripping slightly the steering wheel.  
The race was fine as usual, but once he crossed the end line, he went straight on instead of turning around at the parking.  
He felt strange, hot, maybe feverish.  
For a moment his sight became foggy and he could clearly feel himself losing the grip on reality.  
Only the sensation of the gearshift between his fingers brought him back in time to avoid the worst.  
Baekhyun had to push the brake and pull the handbrake, in order to stop the Skyline at like two centimeters from the wall, producing the most acute screeching sound he ever heard the Skyline doing.  
He sat there, panting, realizing what just happened.  
Baekhyun could feel his heartbeat thumping in his ears, breath coming shorter.  
“Love ya” he whispered, patting the console of the Skyline and the right maintenance he always did on it.  
Baekhyun unfastened the safety belt, opening the door and exiting like he wasn’t him doing those actions and it was all a dream, facing a pretty worried and angry Minseok.  
“Don’t you dare say anything” he shouted him and even before Baekhyun could say something, Minseok hugged him tightly.  
He frowned softly, slightly patting on his shoulders.  
“I’m…” he started feeling cold sweat running down his back and closing briefly his eyes trying to focus on what almost happened in that moment, but Minseok shook his head.  
“Not fine at all. Want someone to drive you home? You can leave the Skyline here” he started but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“I’ll go home” he concluded voice barely audible, scratching in his throat and Minseok stared at him perplexed.  
“Baek…” he started but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“She won’t betray me. And in five minutes I’ll be home, no need to worry” he stopped him and Minseok pressed his lips in a thin line.  
“Did something happen? It’s since the end of October that you are not yourself anymore…” he started but Baekhyun clicked his tongue, forcing away those unpleasant thoughts and breathing deeply, steadying his heartbeat and his breath.  
“I’m always me” he replied but Minseok shook his head.  
“Sehun told me about your outings. Did you start again sleeping around?” he asked him but Baekhyun stopped him immediately.  
“You sound like Baekbom, now. Why you care so much with who I’m sleeping?” he retorted, shaking his head and feeling his pocket for a cigarette.  
He didn’t find any so he sighed once again, this time deeper before staring back to Minseok and forcing a smile.  
“Listen, hyung, I really appreciate your concern, but I’m fine, really. Nothing is happening and nothing happened” he whispered softly trying to sound convincing.  
Minseok stared at him worried.  
“Neither with Chanyeollie?” Minseok asked him and Baekhyun snorted, shaking his head.  
How many weeks passed since he last saw Chanyeol?  
He didn’t know anymore.  
“What about him?” he replied briefly, containing the sadness in his voice, and Minseok hummed in thought.  
“Did you scare him away?” he added and Baekhyun sighed deeply again, fingers messing his hair up.  
“I had sex with him, which is basically the same I suppose” he retorted, fingers moving to play with the earring he had on his ear, and Minseok’s eyes went wider at the sincerity of Baekhyun’s reply.  
“So, if you wonder why Park boy don’t come here anymore, I’m the reason” Baekhyun added shortly, shifting his stare away, fingers returning to mess his hair up.  
“You were pretty fond of him, though…” Minseok observed and Baekhyun let out a sad laugh.  
“Does it change anything?” he asked him, finally meeting Minseok’s stare with his, revealing part of his sadness and how he actually missed Chanyeol.  
His feelings for Chanyeol never vanished.  
They haunted him in his dreams and in those few hours per night he managed to sleep.  
And memories of that evening continuously came to him, bittersweetly remembering him how he could have avoided that moment.  
How he could have simply pushed Chanyeol away, refusing his physical attention.  
But at the same time, remembering him how hot and lovely was Chanyeol moaning and pleading under him.  
Baekhyun remembered small things of that night with more clearness than what he did the day before.  
And it was not to think about it, that he started again sleeping around, hoping that the memories could be erased and written again in other forms, with other names.  
Not that he actually came to anything, seeing how haunting those memories still were, but at least he could manage his feelings.  
“Baek…” Minseok started and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“I’ll go home and sleep. No worries” he concluded, sitting back in the Skyline and rolling its window down.  
“Call you when I reach home” he whispered and Minseok nodded shortly.  
“And sleep for heavens’ sake” Minseok recommended him and Baekhyun chuckled, driving off.  
He managed to arrive safe and sound at home, where he took another aspirin and wrote a message to Minseok telling him that he got home safely and then simply laid on his bed, hoping for the sleep to come dreamless.

  
That Friday, he went with Sehun to that same club where he usually met with Irene.  
It was pleasant, especially for people who, like Baekhyun, had their own reputations preceding their ways and keeping annoying people at distance.  
It seemed a night like all the other, Baekhyun was drinking at the counter, considering if there was someone worth approaching, when a man entered from the back door telling that something was happening in the back alley.  
Baekhyun moved without even thinking about it, followed by Irene and Sehun who weren’t far from there.  
There was a pack more than a group of people hollering undefined things and surely there were people fighting.  
Baekhyun recognized Minseok among the minority and then Chanyeol.  
When he saw him, his mind went blank.  
He didn’t think.  
He simply acted.  
Baekhyun in that moment was oh so glad and thankful for his hapkido abilities.  
Him alone faced more than ten and with mainly Irene’s help, they managed to scare them away.  
Baekhyun felt his lips burn, clearly cut and on his knuckles there was a lot of blood, probably his too.  
And even before he could realize anything, he went to Chanyeol, picking him up from the shirt and pining him at the wall.  
“I swear Park if you don’t have a valid reason to be here, I’ll kick your ass too” he spat out, low almost growling.  
And when Chanyeol didn’t reply anything, he pressed harder on his collar, pushing him again toward the wall.  
“Then?” he asked angry but he felt Irene’s hands on his other arm, pulling him.  
“Baek, Baek! Stop!” she exclaimed and Baekhyun released Chanyeol’s collar, carding his finger through his hair.  
What Chanyeol was doing there?  
Wasn’t Baekhyun clear when he told him to stay away for those places?  
There was a moment of silence and Baekhyun felt his heartbeat becoming steady again.  
“Are you guys okay?” he asked toward Irene and Sehun who both nodded shortly.  
His stare went to Minseok and helped him to raise from where he was sitting.  
“Sorry for the lateness, hyung” he whispered and Minseok sighed deeply.  
“I thought I would manage alone and didn’t know you three were here” he replied and Baekhyun sighed deeply too.  
“I thought I was clear enough with both of you last fucking time” he stated angrily, stare moving toward Chanyeol and Jondae.  
“Baek, wait, it’s my fault” Minseok started and Baekhyun frowned, crossing his arms.  
“You wouldn’t risk so much. Was it Kim’s idea this time too?” he asked but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“It was mine” he replied and Baekhyun closed his eyes, inhaling sharply, trying to focusing on whatever else not to explode again.  
“And which is the brilliant reason that brought you two here?” he asked opening again his eyes, stare enquiring Chanyeol’s being.  
He had two cuts under his left eyes, a bruise near his lips and a cut on his bottom lip.  
And maybe others under the shirt, since how those men before were good at throwing punches.  
“I needed to see you” he whispered and Baekhyun frowned shaking his head, not slightly touched by the sentence.  
He was about to explode because… what if Baekhyun and Irene weren’t in the club that night?  
What if no one else intervened?  
Baekhyun could feel again his blood boiling in his veins.  
“Let’s leave pathetic reunion sentences apart, please. You know where I work you could have come there” he stated, nearing him and Chanyeol pressed his lips in a thin line.  
“Don’t you want us to speak about this somewhere else?” Chanyeol asked him and Baekhyun frowned.  
“Why?” he retorted briefly and Chanyeol shifted his stare away.  
“Maybe it’s the case to put…” Chanyeol started but Baekhyun pulled again the collar of Chanyeol’s shirt, this time bringing him near him.  
“Listen, boy, it’s better if you come up with a nice excuse because otherwise…” he started but Minseok intervened this time, instead of Irene, caressing his arm, trying to tranquilize him.  
“Baek, please. Calm down. Can we sit inside and speak civilly?” he asked him but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“He needs to treat those” Baekhyun whispered, letting Chanyeol’s collar go and walking toward where he parked his i10.  
The other followed him and he unlocked the car, opening the trunk and pulling out a first aid kit.  
“Come here” he stated with the most neutral tone toward Chanyeol who neared him.  
“I don’t want to know why you have a first aid kit in your car” Minseok stated and Baekhyun shrugged his shoulder.  
“Between hapkido and the tournaments, it’s needed” he replied honestly and Minseok sighed deeply.  
“Still at those?” he asked and Baekhyun clicked his tongue.  
“Don’t try to diverge from the most important matter” he stated, glaring toward Chanyeol and pulling out from the kit disinfectant and cotton.  
Baekhyun poured it on the cotton, moistening it well.  
He pressed it softly, earning a whine from Chanyeol.  
“Start speaking Park or I swear I…” he started but Chanyeol took the sleeve of his other arm, pulling it shortly.  
Baekhyun raised his eyebrow, meeting Chanyeol’s stare.  
Later, please – he mouthed and Baekhyun sighed deeply, shaking his head.  
He treated Chanyeol’s bruises and cut and then took out a disposable cold pack, pressing it softly to Chanyeol’s cheek.  
“Keep it there for a while, otherwise it will swell” he whispered before shifting his stare toward Irene, Sehun and Minseok.  
“Do you need some treatments too?” he asked shortly and Irene nodded briefly, showing her hands.  
As Baekhyun, she had all her knuckles reddened and with blood, probably also hers.  
“I wonder why you don’t stop with martial arts. You are such a beautiful lady” Baekhyun stated, medicating also her knuckles and a small cut under her right eye.  
“For your same reasons, pretty boy” she whispered earning herself a chuckle from Baekhyun who gave her a cold pack too.  
There was a small silence and then Minseok sighed softly.  
“Show’s over?” he stated and Baekhyun nodded.  
“I think yes? I mean, it was an exciting evening, thank you. Go home” he concluded and Minseok nodded, patting on Jondae’s shoulder and gesturing him to following him.  
Baekhyun waived at them and then looked toward Irene.  
“Will you escort Sehunnie home?” he asked her softly, feeling his hand starting to hurt and briefly treating his own knuckles too, and she nodded shortly.  
“Is it safe to leave him with you?” she inquired back, worried, and Baekhyun chuckled.  
“I’ll do my best not to kill him, no worries” he concluded, shaking his head, putting the emergency kit away and she hummed, taking Sehun’s hand and walking away.  
Baekhyun sighed again once they were alone.  
He closed the trunk and gestured Chanyeol to sit on the back seat.  
Chanyeol frowned but Baekhyun sat on the back seat too.  
“I’m hearing. Start talking” he stated and Chanyeol sighed deeply sitting inside with him, closing the door.  
Baekhyun pressed on the ceiling where the light control was and turned it on before relaxing his back on the seat.  
Sitting on the back seats of the i10 seemed to be a thing dedicated only to Chanyeol.  
“What happened to you?” Chanyeol asked him and Baekhyun frowned shortly.  
“What do you mean?” he replied not understanding what he was referring to and Chanyeol shook his head briefly.  
“Your accident last week” he stated briefly and Baekhyun raised his eyebrow perplexed.  
Accident?  
He didn’t have any.  
Not one since he started driving.  
“Your really close meeting with the wall” Chanyeol supplied him and Baekhyun nodded briefly.  
“It wasn’t an accident. Both me and the Skyline are fine” he replied honestly and it was true but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“For less than two centimeters, Baekhyun. You could have died back there. You scared me to death” he exclaimed and Baekhyun clicked his tongue, shifting his stare out of the windows.  
“You don’t have reason to. I was in control” he replied and Chanyeol laughed shortly bitterly.  
“As you were tonight?” he asked him immediately and Baekhyun snorted, shaking his head.  
“Don’t test my patience, boy” he spat out but Chanyeol shook his head too.  
“Otherwise? You will beat me up like those men out there?” he retorted and Baekhyun’s frown deepened, low growl escaping his lips.  
“What the hell were you doing here, Park?” he asked him, voice getting angrier again, and he was really exhausting his patience.  
He was tired, his hands hurt and he had enough of that evening.  
He didn’t want to be around Chanyeol an instant more.  
He wanted everything to be over and finally, finally, lay down in his bed.  
“I told you, I was here for you” Chanyeol replied but Baekhyun pulled again at his collar.  
“And what do you want from me, because I don’t have time” he stated angrily but on Chanyeol’s smile opened a smirk.  
“Sex” he stated like it was the most natural thing in the world and Baekhyun frowned deeply, shaking his head.  
“What?” he spat out in reply but Chanyeol moved from his position, sitting on Baekhyun’s laps.  
“Didn’t you miss me?” he whispered, almost purred, in Baekhyun’s ears and Baekhyun’s hands stilled on Chanyeol’s sides.  
And he wanted to tell him that yes, he missed him every single second of his waking hours, and yes, he would have done whatever to have him again around him.  
But he shook his head.  
“It didn’t end well last time” he stated briefly but Chanyeol leant in again, slightly biting his earlobe, tongue playing with Baekhyun’s earrings, and Baekhyun felt a shiver running down his spine, pleasure sweetly calling him and supplying him a lot of things he could do to Chanyeol in that moment, in that position.  
“Who cares about last time? Aren’t you up to a ride?” he whispered in his ear, fingers gently caressing Baekhyun’s neck.  
Baekhyun closed his eyes, slightly gripping harder on Chanyeol’s sides.  
Why he was going that way?  
Why Chanyeol was trying to make Baekhyun have sex with him?  
“Park, no…” he tried to say but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“I thought that we were more intimate than last name basis” he interrupted him, pressing a finger on Baekhyun’s lips.  
Baekhyun sighed deeply, trying to steel himself against something so tempting as Chanyeol on his laps in that moment.  
“Chanyeol, we can’t. You can’t” he whispered trying to regain his clarity of mind and Chanyeol stared at him perplexed.  
“Why? Am I not enough for you?” he asked almost innocently and Baekhyun never shook his head that fast.  
“That’s not it. You should not look for me, you should not involve yourself with this” Baekhyun started explaining but Chanyeol forced his lips against Baekhyun’s.  
Baekhyun missed that taste and that plush sensation so much.  
But, he sighed in the kiss, hands moving to caress Chanyeol’s cheeks, putting distance between them.  
“I don’t know why you are doing it or if you are simply drunk again, but I won’t make the same mistake twice” he whispered softly few centimeters separating his lips from Chanyeol’s.  
“Why?” Chanyeol asked him and Baekhyun sighed deeply.  
“You are not…” he started but Chanyeol stopped him.  
“Consenting? I am. Better than whatever laid you wanted for tonight? I think I am” he whispered and Baekhyun pressed both his hands on Chanyeol’s cheeks, squeezing them.  
“I know and yes you fucking are, boy. But I’m a problem to you. Your biggest problem, that one that you should run away from, not having sex with” he blurted out, staring at Chanyeol who shook his head, chuckling.  
“I’m not made of glass, you know?” he retorted, hands again going to caress the back of Baekhyun’s neck.  
Baekhyun sighed at the contact, closing briefly his eyes.  
“Why are so persistent? Why are you tempting me this much?” Baekhyun asked him briefly and Chanyeol shook shortly his head.  
“Does it change something? Don’t tell me that you weren’t up to a one-night stand tonight?” he simply replied and Baekhyun inhaled deeply, fingers carding through Chanyeol’s hair.  
He could feel his rational thoughts slip away from him and he definitely slept too less to win over Chanyeol.  
“Do you like bad boys so much, Chanyeol?” he whispered, pulling him down, closing the distance between them almost completely.  
“You don’t know how much” Chanyeol muttered, closing the remaining part for him and pressing again his lips on Baekhyun’s.  
The kiss was completely different from the one Baekhyun remembered from that night.  
It was passionate, wet and sloppy, but he didn’t care at all.  
He pulled slightly harder Chanyeol’s hair when he arched his back, grinding their erections together.  
“You make me crazy” Baekhyun whispered in the kiss and Chanyeol chuckled softly.  
“What should I say…?” he replied, hands moving down to caress Baekhyun’s torso.  
“That you are lucky I didn’t drive here with the Skyline, because whatever we are doing right now I don’t think it would be possible on her back seats?” Baekhyun whispered biting Chanyeol’s neck and earning himself a low moan.  
“Not that now we are much more comfortable?” Chanyeol observed making Baekhyun chuckled in reply.  
“These youngsters… This space is huge compared to the back seat of some cars where I…” he started but Chanyeol pushed a finger on his lips.  
“Please, don’t. And let me remind you that we have the same age, only some months of difference” Chanyeol muttered and Baekhyun snorted shortly, hands caressing Chanyeol’s thighs and reaching for his back, groping his ass and making Chanyeol groaned lowly.  
“Yeah, yeah, sure… And did you have some ideas, or you just tried to seduce me out of the blue?” Baekhyun asked him, starting to kiss his neck and feeling Chanyeol’s hands in his hair, caressing and pulling when Baekhyun bit him.  
“Trying to? I think I succeeded plenty?” Chanyeol sighed closing his eyes and letting Baekhyun kiss better his neck.  
“Don’t brag too much about it, boy” Baekhyun added, biting him slightly harder and Chanyeol gasped, pulling shortly at his hair.  
There was a moment of silence and Chanyeol hummed briefly, attracting Baekhyun’s attentions.  
“I want to ride you” Chanyeol stated without any warning and Baekhyun’s stare was immediately on him.  
“Ride me?” he echoed and Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
“Don’t you want me to?” he asked back but Baekhyun chuckled, shaking his head.  
“The only idea is more than pleasant to me” he whispered pulling him down to softly kiss him.  
“Do you need a help with your jeans?” Baekhyun asked him and Chanyeol hummed in thought, turning around, calculating how much space he had around him.  
“I think I can take them off…” he started but Baekhyun chuckled.  
“You don’t need to take them off completely, we need just enough space” he whispered, alluring and Chanyeol blushed softly making Baekhyun grope again his ass.  
“Sure you don’t need an help?” he asked him again and Chanyeol clicked his tongue.  
“Show me then” Chanyeol concluded and Baekhyun chuckled before pulling them down just enough to free his erection and his entrance, pulling with the also his boxer.  
Chanyeol bit his lips when Baekhyun’s cold fingers brushed on his skin and Baekhyun smiled apologetically.  
“Sorry…” he whispered before feeling his own pocket finding the lube mono dose.  
“It will be cold… Do you want me to warm it up a bit?” he asked briefly but Chanyeol shook his head.  
Baekhyun poured a bit on his fingers, distributing it equally before circling softly Chanyeol’s entrance.  
“Don’t slow it up for me, treat me as you would with whoever else” Chanyeol stated but Baekhyun shook his head, briefly, slightly annoyed by the comment.  
“You are not whoever else. And you don’t want to know how I fuck others” he stated and before Chanyeol could comment or reply, he pushed in a finger, finding way less resistance than expected.  
He raised an eyebrow perplexed, pushing it in gently and feeling it slide nicely, making Chanyeol groan on his laps.  
“Do you… finger yourself?” he asked softly, hand caressing Chanyeol’s side while inserting a second fingers and earning another soft moan.  
Chanyeol nodded almost imperceptibly, pushing toward the insertion and slightly biting his lips.  
Baekhyun didn’t comment but felt his erection growing harder in his jeans, asking from some attentions too.  
He added a second and a third finger, feeling Chanyeol arch his back to take as much as possible of that insertion, allowing him to slightly brush against his prostate, making him repress another moan.  
“Don’t bite your lips, you are already bruised” Baekhyun whispered, touching softly his lips and Chanyeol nodded softly, staring at him, eyes dark and full blown behind the glasses.  
He was so sexy, cheeks rose, stare filled with lust and lips glossy and red.  
Baekhyun thrusted slightly quicker his fingers inside Chanyeol, setting a pace and Chanyeol started to follow it, until Baekhyun decided that it was enough and Chanyeol was stretched enough.  
He pulled out his fingers without any warning and Chanyeol whined at the lack, but Baekhyun was already ripping apart the foiled package of the condom.  
“Take here a sec” he whispered giving the condom to Chanyeol who kept it while Baekhyun unbuckled his belt and freed his erection from jeans and boxer.  
“Thanks” Baekhyun added taking back the condom and rolling it on his erection, tucking it few times but he was already hard.  
“Do you need a help also…” Baekhyun started toward Chanyeol who shook his head, hands moving to guide Baekhyun’s erection toward his entrance.  
Once he was satisfied with the angle, he bottomed out, making Baekhyun bit his own lips, repressing a moan and gripping harder on Chanyeol’s sides.  
“Fuck” he whispered and Chanyeol was so hot and so tight and Baekhyun simply wanted to thrust inside him so much.  
“Tell me when I can move” Chanyeol whispered in his ear, gripping on his shoulders.  
“Whenever is fine for you” Baekhyun replied softly, fingers moving to caress his back, going down to squeeze Chanyeol’s buttocks.  
Chanyeol groaned briefly, before starting to move on Baekhyun, slowly taking every single centimeter of him and trying to repress a moan at every movement.  
“Baekhyun” he called him briefly and Baekhyun started to move inside him too, matching his pace with Chanyeol’s.  
He missed that sensation so much and Chanyeol was perfect on his laps, moaning and sweating.  
“You fill me up so well” Chanyeol whispered and Baekhyun groaned, biting his neck, sucking a hickey, making Chanyeol moan again, this time louder.  
Chanyeol arched his back slightly, giving Baekhyun full access to his prostate.  
And Baekhyun thrusted exactly there, making him moan again and again.  
“Is here fine?” Baekhyun asked him, teasing him and Chanyeol nodded briefly.  
“Yes, please, more” he replied, gripping strongly on Baekhyun’s shoulders and squeezing him inside harder.  
Baekhyun felt his erection getting even thicker, and he simply wanted to thrust more and more inside Chanyeol.  
Having Chanyeol moaning and panting on his laps, on the back seats of his car was one of the most erotic things Baekhyun would have ever imagine happening to him.  
Chanyeol was so sexy and so beautiful on him and Baekhyun wanted to feel him come, hearing his voice again.  
And he was about to move his hand to stroke Chanyeol’s erection, but Chanyeol bit his lips harder this time, stare meeting Baekhyun’s.  
“Please, more” he whispered and Baekhyun simply compiled, thrusting harder inside him and feeling him coming on his shirt in few more thrusts and a soft mantra of Baekhyun, please more.  
And Baekhyun didn’t take much longer seeing how tightly Chanyeol squeezed him inside himself when he came, making Baekhyun almost lose his rational thinking, and coming inside him hard, biting Chanyeol’s neck, trying to contain his voice.  
They breathed in each other’s space for few minutes before Baekhyun could gesture with his head behind Chanyeol.  
Chanyeol frowned softly not getting the message and Baekhyun cleared his throat and moistened his lips with his tongue before speaking up.  
“Behind you there are wet wipes” he whispered and Chanyeol frowned briefly.  
“How come you are so prepared for…” he started asking but Baekhyun stopped him, pulling him down for a kiss.  
“You don’t want to know” Baekhyun simply replied and Chanyeol hummed softly, taking the small packet of wet wipes and gave it to Baekhyun.  
He extracted two and cleaned Chanyeol’s erection and his shirt, even if for the shirt, laundry was definitely needed.  
Chanyeol slowly pulled off from Baekhyun, hissing softly and Baekhyun offered him another wet wipe, that Chanyeol accepted cleaning himself up a bit before pulling up again his jeans.  
Baekhyun took off the condom, cleaning himself a bit too, before balling up all the wipes and the condom and putting them aside, buttoning his jeans and fastening again his belt.  
They sat in silence for a minute before Chanyeol sighed softly.  
“Was it satisfying?” he asked him and Baekhyun shifted his stare at him, not able to process properly the question.  
“Why you ask?” he inquired and Chanyeol hummed in thought.  
“Just wondering if it was worth your time” he added and Baekhyun clicked his tongue, staring outside of the windows.  
That question was sufficient to slap him back to reality, thoughts getting painfully clear and cold again in his mind.  
“Sit on the front. I’ll drive you home” he concluded exiting the car, throwing away the wipes ball in a nearby garbage bin and sitting again on the driver seat.  
Chanyeol didn’t move from where he was on the back seat and Baekhyun sighed deeply.  
“Did you enjoy it?” he asked Chanyeol that nodded shortly and Baekhyun forced a small smile.  
“That’s the important thing. Now do you want to come here or do you prefer to stay there? I will drive you home nevertheless” he added adjusting the rear-view mirror.  
Chanyeol pressed his lips in a thin line.  
“Not a chance that you won’t?” he asked him and Baekhyun frowned deeply.  
“Why you shouldn’t want to go back? Don’t you have lessons tomorrow? And I think that your friend will have a lot of things to ask you” he commented briefly, trying to read Chanyeol’s expression.  
Chanyeol though hummed softly, exiting the car and sitting near Baekhyun, pulling at the safety belt.  
Baekhyun turned on the engine, engaging the gear and driving off, through streets he knew by heart.  
As per usual, in five minutes he parked in front of Chanyeol’s department.  
“Too fast” Chanyeol whispered and Baekhyun chuckled, shaking his head trying to ease a bit the mood.  
“You should know already, this is what I am” he stated and Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
There was another silence but Chanyeol didn’t make any gesture to exit the car.  
“Is there something wrong?” Baekhyun asked him and Chanyeol moved his stare on him.  
“When can we meet again?” Chanyeol inquired and Baekhyun inhaled sharply.  
He should have expected that question.  
“You know where to find me” he simply replied and Chanyeol hummed briefly, obviously slightly disappointed by the reply and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“And you can call me. Whenever you want, for whatever reason” he added, feeling already that it was the worst idea possible, but the best only for the soft smile that appeared on Chanyeol’s lips.  
“Even bad boys are so kind?” Chanyeol joked and Baekhyun slightly slapped his shoulder.  
“Go sleep, boy, it’s already late” he ordered and Chanyeol chuckled, showing another sweet smile.  
“Good night, Baekhyun. See you next time” he whispered and Baekhyun waived at him shortly.  
“Next time, then” he concluded and Chanyeol smiled again, exiting the car and entering the building.  
Baekhyun sighed deeply once he was out of sight.  
Chanyeol kept returning in his life, this time in the worst way ever.  
How would he cope with that kind of relationship when he had oh so many feelings for the man?  
Letting alone how wrong was for someone like Chanyeol to have that kind of relationship with Baekhyun.  
And… that kind of relationship?   
What kind of relationship was the one he had now with Chanyeol?  
Only sex on convenience?  
Mutual stress relieving through sex?  
Baekhyun sighed again, lightening himself a cigarette and slowly smoking on the way home.  
Whatever it would be, Baekhyun was screwed.

  
It started like that their weird relationship.  
They met sometimes, only when Chanyeol was up to, usually to races or to clubs, and Chanyeol always managed to convince him to have sex with him.  
They didn’t speak of important matters, only normal things.  
How’s your day?  
Everything’s fine at work?  
Will you be there next Saturday?  
How are your exams going?  
And things like that.  
Baekhyun didn’t sleep around anymore, having therefore an exclusive relationship with Chanyeol.  
Even if he didn’t tell him at all.  
Especially considering that he didn’t even know which was their relationship anymore.  
They weren’t friends.  
And neither lovers.  
They simply fucked sometimes, where they were and then Baekhyun would drive Chanyeol home.  
Nothing more, nothing less.  
Sometimes they still stopped by the harbor and Chanyeol talked about constellations and sky and Baekhyun listened to him fascinated like the first time it happened.  
But he knew that all of that meant nothing to Chanyeol.  
It was simply a pleasant moment between intercourses.  
Baekhyun didn’t particularly like that situation but he loved Chanyeol.  
And he would do everything not to push him away again, even when this meant having a sex-related “relationship” with him.  
Except for his not sleeping around anymore, Baekhyun’s conditions didn’t get any better.  
He still slept two hours per nights, still worked extra shift both at the mini-mart and at the hapkido gym and still took any race and tournament in the zone.  
“You look awful” Minseok stated one night while Baekhyun was smoking leaning on the Skyline hood.  
“Thank you. It’s a pleasure seeing you too” he replied and Minseok shook his head worried.  
“I thought Chanyeollie was your problem” Minseok observed and Baekhyun chuckled, shaking his head.  
“Chanyeol is still my problem” he replied honestly but making Minseok frown.  
“What do you mean?” he asked him and Baekhyun puffed out some smoke.  
“He’s a nice boy. Shouldn’t be around here. Shouldn’t fuck with me” he replied and Minseok hummed softly in thought, leaning on the Skyline too.  
“The last part is… my fault” he whispered and Baekhyun frowned deeply.  
“Your fault?” he echoed and Minseok nodded.  
“I… slipped talking with Dae and Chanyeollie one evening, telling them that it was a while since last time you were sleeping around that much. And Chanyeollie told me about how you had sex and that maybe that was the problem. So I kind of suggested him to…” he started telling him and Baekhyun frowned, unbelieving.  
“Are you kidding me, right?” he stopped him but Minseok shook his head.  
“So, the real reason why he’s having sex with me is… Because you thought it would prevent me to sleep around?” he asked him and Minseok nodded briefly, making Baekhyun laughed, shaking his head.  
“I can’t believe it” he concluded and when Minseok tried to apologize Baekhyun shook his head again.  
“It wasn’t a great idea, hyung” he whispered stomping the cigarette under his feet and turning around and sitting in his Skyline, turning on the engine and driving away.  
So Chanyeol was doing it mainly because Minseok suggested him so.  
And maybe because it was at least pleasant.  
In an instant Baekhyun revived again all the times he had sex with Chanyeol in the last few months.  
They were almost countless and every time different and special as the first time.  
Only for him, though.  
Baekhyun inhaled, taking the highway and driving, driving until he was tired enough to stop in a motel along the way.  
And when he laid down he was so tired yet so awake, that in the end he slept one hour before taking the road again.  
This time to go back, directly to the Astronomy Department.  
It was the first time he went there in the daylight and his azure Skyline kind of attracted the attention of everyone passing by.  
He leant on the side, smoking in silence, waiting for Chanyeol to show up.  
He didn’t send him a message, but he knew that around that hour there was lunch break and Chanyeol always went to cafeteria on the other end of the street to buy something to eat.  
And the very same happened that day.  
Chanyeol’s stare was perplexed in seeing Baekhyun there, especially with the Skyline instead of the i10.  
“Hey” he greeted him and Baekhyun nodded toward him as a greeting.  
He thought all the night to what was better to say, better to do.  
But in the end, he simply spoke part of his mind out.  
“Hyung told me about your brilliant plan. You could have simply asked if it bothered you this much that I slept around. You don’t need to force yourself anymore” he stated briefly, stare not meeting his and lighting himself up another cigarette.  
“Baekhyun, it’s not…” Chanyeol started softly and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“I don’t care. Find yourself a nice girl and follow society standard instead of playing around with me” he concluded opening the door of his car and turning on the engine.  
Chanyeol frowned softly and Baekhyun rolled down his window.  
“It’s the best for you, Park boy. Stop with bad guys and follow the straight path. See you around” he declared, driving away.  
He felt like dying inside because the last thing he wanted was to stay without Chanyeol, but the idea that Chanyeol was somehow forcing himself to fuck with Baekhyun just to keep him distant to have other sexual adventures, crept him out.  
Having sex with Chanyeol was the best he ever tried, but not to that conditions.  
Not when Chanyeol shouldn’t even nearing Baekhyun.  
He was a fool thinking that somehow he could maintain some kind of relationship with Chanyeol on those basis but it wasn’t possible.  
Not for him, not in that way.  
Baekhyun drove home and, after a shower, he went directly to work at the mini-mart.  
He would have stopped thinking about Chanyeol eventually.  
Somehow, one day, he would hurt less than in that moment.  
It was nothing that Baekhyun couldn’t survive.

  
Days started to pass equal to the others.  
He refused all Chanyeol’s calls and diminished his shift at the mini-mart when possible, in favor for more lesson at the hapkido gym.  
He raced less, even if he missed it oh so much, participating only at those with the higher prizes or the biggest exhibition.  
For the rest he drove, and drove without destination for all his nights, usually with his Skyline but sometimes also with the i10.  
He missed Chanyeol like the first day every day but didn’t try to replace his absence with other sexual relationship.  
He simply didn’t do it anymore.  
Baekhyun felt permanently tired and fatigued and neither cigarettes helped him anymore.  
So, he mainly focused on driving and training for now official competitions instead of illegal tournament.  
After finally beating Tao, he didn’t have a reason to be in those anymore, if not in some big ones that gathered more people and sometimes some valuable opponents too.  
And it was in one of those that Baekhyun finally broke down.  
After the final, he was walking toward the locker rooms, speaking with Yixing and, after a small dizziness, he passed out.  
Suddenly all became black and there was nothing.  
He woke up that evening, in a hospital bed, with Baekbom worried at his side.  
“Baek!” he exclaimed seeing him stirring in his slumber.  
“Baekbom?” Baekhyun muttered perplexed and his brother frowned shaking his head.  
“You are an idiot, I was so worried!” he stated gently holding his hand and Baekhyun’s perplexed look moved around the room, realizing that it wasn’t his own room and neither his brother’s house.  
“Where are we?” he asked shortly, trying to sit up and noticing an IV linked to his arm and frowned worried.  
“And what happened?” he added again and Baekbom sighed softly.  
“You collapsed. A friend of yours called the emergency line. They did you an IV of supplements and water. You are not sleeping enough again, right?” he asked him and Baekhyun wanted to reassure him that everything was fine, but from the corridor there was a noise and the door opened making a loud noise.  
“Baek!” Minseok exclaimed entering but quieting down immediately seeing that there was another guest.  
Baekhyun sighed softly and worrying seeing Minseok that worried.  
“Hyung, this is my brother Baekbom. Baekbom, this is dear friend, Kim Minseok” he introduced them and they both bowed toward the other.  
“I will come later…” Minseok started but Baekbom shook his head.  
“My brother is an idiot, I don’t have any much to tell him” he stated sitting up and patting shortly on Baekhyun’s shoulder.  
“And if you make me worry again like this, I don’t give a fuck that you are black belt of hapkido, I’ll kick your sorry ass forever” he concluded and Baekhyun chuckled shortly, waiving at him.  
“Sorry for being again the worst brother” he whispered, forcing a small smile, and he flicked his forehead with a finger.  
“I-di-o-t. Mom and dad sent you those, at least remember to call them later” he concluded nodding toward a small vase of purple hyacinths.  
Baekhyun’s eyes went wider in surprise and wanted to add something but his brother patted again on his shoulder.  
“They still love and care about you. It was you that pushed them out of your life…” he whispered and Baekhyun felt tears forming at the corners of his eyes.  
He shook his head softly, pushing them away and smiled briefly toward Baekbom.  
“I will phone them once out of here. Tell them I said hello” he stated and Baekbom smiled at him softly.  
“Take care, Baek” he concluded, bowing toward Minseok and going away.  
Minseok frowned at him, worried.  
“What the hell?” he asked him and Baekhyun sighed shortly.  
“I’m fine, hyung, just a bit of tiredness” he tried but Minseok shook his head unbelieving.  
“I thought I was dying of anxiety coming here! When Xing called me I thought that he was joking because… yes. And yet here you are, stupid idiot!” he exclaimed and Baekhyun chuckled shaking his head.  
“Stupid idiot? It’s the first time someone use it for me in the same sentence” he whispered easing the situation and Minseok sighed deeply, shaking his head.  
“You have to sleep more and more regularly, Baek. And eat well. And not overdo with training and work” he added and Baekhyun nodded briefly.  
“I’m sorry to make you worry, hyung” he whispered and Minseok sighed again, sitting near him.  
“Did you… speak with Chanyeollie?” he asked him and Baekhyun shifted his stare away.  
“Can we not talk about him, please?” he retorted and he felt again tears coming to his eyes.  
He missed Chanyeol more than he care to admit.  
But he had feelings that Chanyeol didn’t have.  
And that weren’t meant to be.  
“He came every night to every race hoping to see you there” Minseok added and Baekhyun sighed deeply, shaking his head.  
“It’s better if he stays away from me, hyung. We don’t share the same feelings and I’m not the… right person for him to spend his time with” he whispered softly, fingers fixing some strands of his hair that fell messily on his face.  
“Feelings?” Minseok echoed and Baekhyun chuckled sadly, shaking his head.  
“Yeah, feelings. The worst type” he replied this time honestly because, what reason did he have to lie?  
Especially to Minseok?  
But Minseok raised his eyebrow perplexed.  
“Are you in love with Chanyeollie?” he asked and Baekhyun snorted, staring outside the windows.  
“Since the first time we saw. Since the first time he sat in the Skyline with me” he whispered as per reply and feeling it more real now that he told it to someone.  
Minseok nodded shortly in silence.  
“And you didn’t tell him?” he inquired making Baekhyun huff a laugh.  
“He deserves way better than… this” he sighed before shaking his head, feeling again all the sadness and the hurt that accompany his days since when he parted his way with Chanyeol.  
“Let’s stop speaking about it. I need to get better, not worse” he added, forcing another chuckle and Minseok nodded briefly.  
“Take your time to recover. And come along some more to the races, we all miss you. Especially Kai, that boy is lost without you leading his way” Minseok concluded sitting up and smiling softly at him.  
“Sure, sure. I will think about it” he concluded waiving toward Minseok and he waived back walking away.  
And no more than a minute later, a nurse came by and fixed the IV for him, putting something inside too and he felt sleepy again.  
So sleepy that he fell asleep without realizing it.  
A dreamless sleep.

  
The following day, he felt already a bit better and after some more control, the doctor decided to dismiss him, giving him some pills to take.  
He dressed up again and retrieved his things, including the flowers and his phone and the keys of his cars.  
Baekhyun had to force his thoughts to think with which car he went to the tournament two days before, realizing it was the i10.  
He tapped on his phone, accessing to the GPS tracking of his car and seeing that it was still parked in front of where the tournament held.  
Hopefully not in a prohibited zone.  
He walked out of the hospital, pressing his snapback better on his head, protecting himself from the sunrays of April, noticing that it was warmer than expected outside.  
He was focusing on his phone and he accidentally bumped against another person.  
“I’m sorry” he whispered raising his stare on the man and realizing that he was Chanyeol.  
“Baekhyun?” he asked him dumbfounded and Baekhyun forced a small smile.  
“Hey” he greeted shortly and Chanyeol seemed to be perplexed to see him there.  
“What are you doing here?” Chanyeol asked him briefly, almost unable to meet his stare, and Baekhyun forced a small smile.  
“Certification for hapkido gym” he lied sounding more convincing than expected.  
“And you?” he asked back just out of politeness and he shook his head briefly.  
“My uncle works here and my father asked me a favor and retrieve something from him” he replied and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“I… have to go, now. Sorry but I’m a bit in a hurry” Baekhyun stated, waiving at him and Chanyeol nodded waiving back.  
Baekhyun stopped the first taxi that was around there and took it before he could change idea and go back and hug Chanyeol tightly.  
But he didn’t miss Chanyeol’s perplexed stare when he saw him take a taxi instead of driving back.  
Baekhyun did his best to ignore it.  
Everything would be fine.  
Somehow.  
Once he went and retrieved his car, he reached home and decided to call his parents even if he didn’t know what to say at all.  
He dialed the number and then pressed the call button before being able to change idea.  
And his mother’s voice picked up almost immediately.  
“Baekhyunnie?” he asked him perplexed and he felt like crying.  
He missed his mother.  
Even if he knew that he wasn’t a good son to her.  
“Yeah, it’s me. Do… do I disturb you?” he asked her softly, fingers reaching for his hair and messing it up, and she immediately said no and asked him how he felt.  
“Better. I mean, fine. It was a bit of tiredness due to some… extra shifts at the mini-mart” he whispered in reply.  
“You should try to rest a bit too. Don’t force yourself too much. It should be hard on you managing all those things” she stated, her tone was clearly worried and he pressed his lips in a thin line.  
It would be easy if it was only the mini-mart.  
But it was the mini-mart.  
And the hapkido gym.  
And the races.  
And the tournaments.  
And… Chanyeol.  
“I’m sorry to make you worry. But I’m fine now, thank you for the flowers” he whispered pushing away all the thoughts and simply focusing on the call with his mother, and she chuckled softly.  
“Do you like them? They are easy to take care of” she explained briefly and Baekhyun chuckled too.  
“Thanks, I appreciate it” he retorted and, after a small moment of silence, his mother spoke again.  
“Come greet us for your birthday. We will be happy to celebrate a bit together” she whispered and Baekhyun opened in a shy smile.  
“I… will think about it, thank you” he concluded feeling relieved about his mother’s suggestion, and they exchanged some more news before they hang up.  
Baekhyun sighed softly, feeling slightly relieved.  
Somehow his parents didn’t hate him as much as he believed.  
He slept a bit in the afternoon and then he was preparing something for dinner when his phone rang, Minseok’s ID appearing on the screen.  
“Hyung? Everything’s fine?” he asked replying the call, but on the other side another voice came unexpected.  
Lower and unmistakable.  
“You are such a liar!” Chanyeol stated and Baekhyun frowned briefly, perplexed and confused.  
“Come again?” he asked back and Chanyeol sighed deeply.  
“You told it was an examination for the gym not because you collapsed” he declared angrily and Baekhyun hummed briefly.  
“I don’t remember promising not to lie to you or talking about my health with you” he whispered softly and Chanyeol wanted to interject something but Baekhyun stopped him immediately.  
“You have five seconds to tell me why you are calling me, then I will hang up” he stated coldly and Chanyeol gasped.  
Baekhyun couldn’t let Chanyeol again in his life to mess things up again.  
He had already sufficiently problems him alone.  
“Four” Baekhyun counted down and Chanyeol started a mantra of wait a sec.  
“Three” Baekhyun continued and Chanyeol sighed deeply.  
“Two” he added and Chanyeol exploded.  
“I love you” he stated and Baekhyun stopped doing whatever he was doing, including thinking probably.  
“You… what?” he spat out angry, even if his heart was beating so fast inside his chest he wasn’t sure he was feeling very well.  
“Can we meet and speak about this?” Chanyeol asked him and Baekhyun sighed deeply.  
“In an hour to the harbor” he replied and Chanyeol replied affirmatively before hanging up and leaving Baekhyun staring at the phone perplexed.  
What the hell was happening?  
Chanyeol told him he was in love with him.  
But how was it possible?  
It was clear that most of the things Chanyeol did, they were to please one of Baekhyun’s fellows racers.  
And except for the first time that was a mistake, Chanyeol started having sex with Baekhyun simply to prevent him to sleep around.  
So, what in the world did Baekhyun miss in all of this?  
He forced himself to eat something, just to take some of the pills the doctor prescribed him and then he dressed, getting ready to go to the harbor.  
Baekhyun decided to take the Skyline because, whatever would happen after, he knew that he would need a drive around, one that his i10 couldn’t satisfy.  
He stopped to buy cigarettes but arrived earlier nevertheless.  
Baekhyun sat on the same bench he usually sat on with Chanyeol and smoked in silence, staring at the sky.  
It wasn’t the same without Chanyeol explaining him what he was seeing, but it still was fascinating.  
“Tonight, Saturn will be visible after two, if you want” Chanyeol whispered behind him and he hummed softly, lighting up another cigarette.  
There was a brief silence and Baekhyun sat up, turning to look toward Chanyeol.  
“You have five minutes to explain yourself” he stated checking his wristwatch and Chanyeol sighed.  
“Can’t we sit down and…” Chanyeol tried but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“Start speaking or I’ll go away” Baekhyun declared and Chanyeol inhaled deeply before getting closer to Baekhyun.  
“I think I have feeling for you, Baekhyun. And I really meant what I said before at the phone” he started but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“How?” he asked him, puffing smoke distant from Chanyeol’s direction.  
“You… I can’t stop thinking about you. I think about you twenty-four-seven. And it’s not only about the… physical part of you” Chanyeol whispered, deep rose tinting his cheeks and Baekhyun shrugged his shoulders.  
“You done?” he inquired shortly and Chanyeol nodded briefly.  
Baekhyun smoked the last of his cigarette in silence before pressing it in his small ashtray.  
He thought a lot about it and he knew that he had feelings for Chanyeol too and maybe Chanyeol’s were also true, he didn’t want to lessen them at all, but they had two different lives.  
Too different.  
“I don’t feel the same. I’m sorry” he whispered even if he wanted to scream with all his voice I love you so much and your presence haunts me since the very first moment we met.  
However, he forced a smile and shook his head, ready to walk away, to drive away, but Chanyeol took his hand, gripping slightly.  
“Why you slept with me that night?” he asked him and Baekhyun sighed deeply.  
“Because you were hot and… willing?” he replied, trying to minimize all the thoughts that went through his head that night and how guilty he felt after.  
Chanyeol shook his head but before Baekhyun could enquire any further, he asked again: “And why you continued to sleep with me after that?”.  
Baekhyun’s stare moved to Chanyeol’s face, frowning.  
“Same reasons” he lied, knowing that he did it just because the only idea of having Chanyeol physically near, managed to ease the emotional pain he was feeling.  
And because he was so fond of him.  
The only one that could make him do potentially everything, including facing fifteen and more men alone with only Irene.  
The one that brought him to Gyeongju just to see the most ancient sundial and observatory in Korea.  
The one that took away his sleep.  
The one that shone brighter than any other star in the sky.  
“So it was just because you find me hot?” Chanyeol asked him and Baekhyun nodded, while his heart was screaming no.  
“You are the worst liar, Baekhyun…” Chanyeol whispered and Baekhyun frowned shortly.  
“I told you I don’t have to tell you the truth” he replied jerking his hand away from Chanyeol’s grip and Chanyeol shook his head.  
“So, let me tell it for you and tell me if I’m mistaking” he started and even before Baekhyun could reply, he started speaking.  
“Minseok-hyung told me how you never had serious relationship up until now and you never involve yourself with people for more than two or three times, usually. However, you never refused me, not after I asked you to bring me home, not when we went to Gyeongju, and I’m sure I’m the one who forced sex on you that night, even if I don’t remember it” he started saying, closing a bit the space that there was between him and Baekhyun who took a step behind.  
“If this is not sufficient, you didn’t refuse me neither when I pushed you out of my life without explaining a single thing. And neither when I forced sex on you the second time, this time wittingly” he explained taking two steps inside Baekhyun’s personal space and taking his hand again in his.  
“You don’t…” Baekhyun tried to say but Chanyeol pushed gently a finger on his lips.  
“Hyung said that he never saw you that happy as when we were sitting together, joking around. You never accepted other passengers after me in the Skyline” he whispered, now definitely close to Baekhyun enough for Baekhyun to sniff his perfume and feel his warmth.  
“Hyung knows nothing about this…” Baekhyun muttered back and Chanyeol hummed briefly.  
“Maybe no, but he can be quite observing. And knows you longer than I have” he stated, moving his hand to tentatively caress Baekhyun’s cheek.  
“You are the worst, Chanyeol. Why you insist on me this much? Can’t you go and find a normal girlfriend, marry and have a lot of little Parks like everyone else do?” he asked him shaking his head and making Chanyeol chuckle lowly.  
“Because I love you, I don’t like girls and I don’t have any interest in marriage nor in having kids” he replied and Baekhyun had to force again all his strengths to come to him, slightly pushing Chanyeol distant from him.  
“However, life doesn’t work in this way. I’m not a good person, Chanyeol. But you are and you deserve more than… this” he whispered trying to containing his feelings a little bit more.  
A little while longer.  
He just needed to convince Chanyeol that it wasn’t the right thing to stay together.  
But Chanyeol’s fingers slightly brushed his cheek again.  
“You think you are not suitable to be with me?” he asked Baekhyun and he forced his stare away.  
“It doesn’t matter what I think. We can’t be together, Chanyeol” Baekhyun concluded and he wanted to walk away because he thought he wouldn’t last much more with that farce and Chanyeol was making too many questions.  
Chanyeol took his hand again, preventing him to walk away.  
“It matters to me, Baekhyun. Don’t lie, just for a second. Tell me the truth” he whispered and his voice was so low and soft that Baekhyun sighed deeply, feeling tears coming to his eyes.  
“You want the truth?” he asked him, closing his eyes, breathing deeply and Chanyeol nodded immediately.  
“Let’s make a pact: I’ll tell you the truth and you won’t come again to any races, any clubs, nowhere dangerous for you and your reputation” he stated and Chanyeol frowned deeply already shaking his head but Baekhyun stopped him.  
“These are my conditions. Otherwdise you will let go my hand and it would be like we never met tonight” he added but Chanyeol shook his head frantically.  
“Then promise me. No races and no clubs anymore. Alone or with others” he stated and Chanyeol sighed deeply before nodding briefly.  
Baekhyun inhaled sharply before carding his fingers through his hair, shaking his head.  
“I love you since the first time you sat on the passenger seat of the Skyline. All the time I spent with you was a blessing. We had sex the first time because you were… more than willing, and almost imposed it to me. And I didn’t manage to refuse you, bringing us to that separation. I… thought so many nights what would it be if I would have refused you that night but I didn’t have any answer” he started softly, closing his eyes in concentration, letting out all the feelings and thoughts that he bottled up for months.  
“And when me and Irene intervened in that brawl, I couldn’t believe that you were there. I did my best to keep you as distant as possible from those places, this life and from me and you were still there. Seeing your pretty face bruised in that way made my blood rush. And I’m sorry to have scared you, but I couldn’t think straight. I was so… furious” he explained closing his fingers in a punch and then releasing them back, feeling again as that evening.  
He sighed deeply trying to focus on other things before he could get angry again.  
“And then you had the brilliant idea to propose me sex” he whispered, chuckling and finally meeting Chanyeol’s stare on him.  
“To me? I am the one you should fleet from, not have sex with. I’m not a good boy and you should avoid me like plague” he added, shaking his head and reviewing for a second all the nights he had the pleasure to have Chanyeol for him.  
“And how could I refuse you that time? You asked me to ride me on the back seat of my car? Too sexy and too appealing for someone like me” he muttered, sighing deeply.  
“Then hyung told me how he suggested” he added gesturing the last word with air commas, “you about having sex with me and I thought that that was enough. You are too precious and too kind for your own good, Chanyeol. You deserve better than this world and a racer that apart his car doesn’t have anything much to offer” he concluded forcing a smile and shaking his head briefly, finally taking a step to distance himself from Chanyeol.  
“Baekhyun…” Chanyeol started but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“So, behave. Continue with your studies, find yourself a nice, sweet boyfriend if you don’t like girls, built your life on legal and important basis, and forget about me and all of this” he declared, sad smile never leaving his lips.  
That was the right way.  
The only way possible for them.  
“What if this is not what I want?” Chanyeol whispered briefly and Baekhyun chuckled.  
“You don’t know yet. You are too young” Baekhyun retorted making Chanyeol snort, unbelieving.  
“We have the same age” he observed softly and Baekhyun clicked his tongue.  
“We lived these years in the different way. Do you prefer me to say that you are naïve?” he asked him softly, shaking his head, stare meeting again with Chanyeol’s.  
“I want to be with you” he whispered softly but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“You will regret it, Chanyeol. If not now in few years” he replied but Chanyeol caressed Baekhyun’s cheeks, gently.  
“I don’t care. You are all I want and I don’t care about society standards or what others think about me, about you… You are the only one who matters to me” he said softly, voice barely audible, leaning in, few centimeters separating him from Baekhyun’s lips.  
They stared at each other for what seemed to be an eternity and then Baekhyun inhaled deeply.  
There was another way.  
The only other way.  
For him to finally be with Chanyeol.  
But Baekhyun needed time.  
Time to settle things.  
“Give me few months. Four, maybe five and I’ll be out of races, tournaments whatever. If after you will still be willing to be with me, then…” he stated and Chanyeol’s eyes grew larger in perplexity.  
“Baekhyun, what…” he started, voice wavering and stare worried but Baekhyun closed that small distance that still divided them, kissing him softly on his lips.  
“I want to stand on your same level, I don’t want you to lie to protect me and what I do. I want you to never hide what I do in my life” he whispered softly, staring back at Chanyeol and he frowned again, shaking his head.  
“I don’t want this…” he started but Baekhyun pushed a finger on his lips softly.  
“Please. Only five months and then we can be together” he stopped him and Chanyeol inhaled deeply.  
“Five months starting from now. Not one day more. Promise me?” he asked back and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
He didn’t know how he could do it, but he would have found a way.  
Because he wanted to be his better version for Chanyeol.  
Not someone that did illegal things and had to flee from police.  
Not someone that any day could be not coming home because of some accident or because a tournament didn’t go as expected.  
It was time for him to finally assume his own responsibilities.  
“I love you, Chanyeol” he whispered softly and Chanyeol smiled softly at him, almost sadly.  
“Come on, baby, don’t do like that. I promise these months will end so soon you won’t even realize them” he whispered, caressing Chanyeol’s cheek and pulling him down for another kiss.  
“I know I will miss you every day” he whined and Baekhyun smiled briefly.  
“I will miss you too. But I promise it will be worth the waiting” he concluded and Chanyeol sighed deeply before kissing him again and again, placing a lot of pecks on his lips.  
Baekhyun chuckled, carding his fingers in Chanyeol’s hair and pulling him down for a real kiss, licking his bottom lip, granting himself entrance in Chanyeol’s mouth.  
They kissed slowly in silence and then Baekhyun bit softly Chanyeol’s lip, pulling away.  
“Up to a last ride on the Skyline?” he proposed and Chanyeol nodded shortly, following him to seat once again in the passenger seat of Baekhyun’s Skyline.  
Baekhyun turned the engine on, feeling it reply promptly at his commands.  
“Won’t you miss it?” Chanyeol asked him while Baekhyun was driving to no place in particular.  
Baekhyun inhaled deeply.  
“I will, I already feel it. But… It’s necessary” he replied briefly and Chanyeol wanted to interject telling him that it wasn’t and that it was a rule that he set on his own but Baekhyun smiled softly at him.  
“Be sure you will be ready in five months. I’ll show you the very best of me” he added making Chanyeol chuckle softly, shaking his head.  
Baekhyun drove almost until Incheon before realizing how late it was.  
“It’s almost two in the morning, you could have stopped me” he complained, parking to one of the parking areas near the harbor, and Chanyeol shook his head shortly.  
“Why? You are so gorgeous while you drive” he whispered and Baekhyun’s stare went immediately to Chanyeol, meeting his stare.  
“Didn’t know I had this effect on you” he observed, small smile appearing on his lips and Chanyeol snorted, shaking his head.  
“You are so focused and so… sexy?” he added, blush reaching his cheeks and ears and Baekhyun bit his lips shortly.  
“I know that the Skyline is not spacious as the i10, but…” Baekhyun started and Chanyeol’s stare checked the space behind them, trying to figure if and how they will fit there.  
“It seems enough for me” he whispered back and Baekhyun nodded shortly, unfastening his safety belt.  
Baekhyun almost sat, stretching to go behind instead of exiting, checking how much space there was.  
“I think…” he started turning toward Chanyeol who was chuckling and he frowned shortly, trying to understand what was happening.  
“You are so petite, Baekhyun” he whispered smiling wider and Baekhyun frowned shaking his head.  
“Come here and I’ll show you how petite I am” he stated and Chanyeol chuckled again, exiting the car and sitting on the back seats with Baekhyun.  
“Oh, sure. Please then…” he stated and Baekhyun took Chanyeol’s t-shirt pulling him down and kissing him passionately.  
Totally different respect the kisses they shared before.  
Chanyeol didn’t let him have all the fun this turn, though, and kissed his neck softly biting him, earning a small groan from Baekhyun.  
Baekhyun missed every second of it and he would have missed in the next five months too.  
“Come here” he whispered to Chanyeol that didn’t let him repeat himself once more and sat on his laps, fingers carding through his hair, pulling softly.  
“You will the end of me, Baekhyun” he stated kissing his forehead and making Baekhyun chuckled, hands moving to caress Chanyeol’s sides.  
“And I’ll miss you in these months” he added and Baekhyun pushed a finger on his lips.  
“Let me hold you, then. And when you will be missing me, remember this moment” he concluded making Chanyeol blush and leant down again to kiss him.  
Baekhyun didn’t need anything else in that moment if not Chanyeol’s hands and lips on him and Chanyeol on his laps.  
All the world could wait for a while longer.

  
Baekhyun brought back Chanyeol at five in the morning, stopping in front of the Astronomy Department.  
“Are you sure we can’t…” Chanyeol started but Baekhyun pulled him down again for a small kiss.  
“Five months. You won’t even recognize me” he concluded and Chanyeol sighed deeply.  
“I love you, Baekhyun” he whispered and Baekhyun opened in a soft smile.  
“Love you too” he replied, caressing gently his cheek and kissing him shortly again.  
“Go now. It’s already so late” Baekhyun added but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“Stay a while more, I don’t want it to end” he muttered and Baekhyun sighed deeply.  
“You are just making things more complicated, Chanyeol. Please… it’s difficult also for me” he breathed, stare shifting away and Chanyeol sighed too.  
“Okay. Okay, I’ll go. Remember that you promised me. Five months from now” he stated and Baekhyun nodded.  
“On the fifth of August, I’ll be here” he replied and Chanyeol nodded, unfastening the belt and opening the door.  
“It’s a promise” he concluded kissing him once more and exiting the car, closing the door and waiving shortly at him.  
Baekhyun waived back and looked at him entering the building.  
He sighed deeply.  
Time to go and restore some of his reputation.

  
First thing, he talked with Minseok, because Minseok knew a lot of people and was the first one to propose him legal racing.  
Baekhyun cleaned up a bit, kept his hairstyle a bit shorter, light brown how it was supposed to be, took off his earrings and went to some interviews.  
In the end, almost everyone wanted him.  
Baekhyun was indeed a more than good racer and could do potentially everything.  
Baekhyun spoke also with Baekbom, asking him advises on which career was better if it was wiser to proceed with cars or keeping hapkido.  
Baekbom frowned.  
“Why choosing if you can do both?” he asked him and Baekhyun frowned shortly.  
“Focus on racing, but don’t abandon hapkido. When you will get tired or too old for racing, you always hapkido” he observed and Baekhyun nodded, glad to have asked him, because the idea was the best.  
He went to visit his parents too, showing them a better version of him compared to the one they remembered and he found it almost pleasant to spent some time with them.  
He didn’t sell the Skyline because… how could him?  
But he kept it store in a garage box rented only for it, driving around only in particular occasion or just not to let it die there.  
He missed Chanyeol a lot, maybe even more than before but in a whole different way.  
Even if he missed him, he knew that his feelings were mutual and as August got closer and closer, he couldn’t hide his excitement.  
Baekhyun started racing professionally in June.  
He couldn’t believe that his sponsor gave him a whole squad of technicians.  
What did he do with at least twenty people checking his car?  
He alone was sufficient to check if the car was okay or not.  
He got to drive a Porsche 911, though, which was the fastest, sturdiest, most balanced car Baekhyun ever drove in his life.  
His love for the Skyline was infinite, but his new car was… brilliant.  
Baekhyun nicknamed it Cloud9 seeing how light it was on the tracks and the initial 9 of number.  
He couldn’t stand more than half of the technicians that worked “with” him ,but he tried his best to ignore it.  
It was enough if they followed his directions.  
He knew nothing of terminology or other technical things, but he knew exactly what he needed and how to obtain it.  
After another quarrel with the head technician, Baekhyun blurted out “You are an incompetent! Let me do it” and the technician, convinced that Baekhyun knew nothing of mechanics, let him do what he pleased.  
When, forty-five minutes and a lot of oil and swears later, Baekhyun fixed the problem, racing his best time ever on that circuit, he finally became friend with him.  
Kim Junmyeon was an honest man with some strange ideas on mechanics but that Baekhyun could totally understand and tried to merge with his own.  
Suddenly he felt like he felt when he spoke with Yixing about their cars.  
Baekhyun didn’t lose contacts with any of them  
Yixing was still the most sponsored and fastest racer in undergrounds racing.  
Jongin stayed a while more but in the end he dedicated himself completely to his hip-hop career and to his boyfriend’s culinary aspirations.  
He still saw Sehun and Irene when he went to teach hapkido.  
And sometimes he went to some bars, not the shady ones, with Minseok who became one with Jondae.  
Where was one, there was the other.  
There was an untold rule between them though.  
Not to mention Chanyeol.  
They tried it the first time they met after several weeks, but Baekhyun was irremovable on not wanting to tell anything about him.  
There was an agreement between him and Chanyeol only.  
Baekhyun became famous in the racing panorama pretty soon, even if it wasn’t a followed sport so it didn’t mean necessarily popularity and interviews and cameras everywhere.  
Both Baekbom and his parents were proud of him and finally he decided to come out to his parents.  
It was almost the middle of July and he with Baekbom, Baekbom’s wife and their children were having lunch on his parents’ veranda when Baekhyun raised his stare from the plate, looking at his mother.  
“Baekhyunnie?” she asked him and he sighed deeply.  
“I know I wasn’t a good son to you for like years and that maybe now I’m starting to getting on my way…” he started saying softly and his mother wanted to interject but he stopped her.  
“There’s a thing I have to tell you” he stated and Baekbom’s wife sat up, gesturing the children to go play inside and going after them.  
“I’m gay” he whispered shortly and Baekbom sighed in relief.  
He always knew it and kind of supported Baekhyun, even if he didn’t tolerate him sleeping around.  
But he seemed to be relieved that finally Baekhyun decided to tell their parents about it.  
“Are you… sure?” his mother asked him and Baekhyun inhaled again, feeling the tears coming to his eyes thinking back at how much he missed Chanyeol and how much he loved him and yes, he was sure.  
He nodded shortly.  
“I’m in love with a man, so yes, I’m sure” he added and his mother nodded, a soft smile appearing on her lips.  
“Okay” she whispered and Baekhyun frowned but she smiled again.  
“Okay, please cherish him as the most important thing in this world” she whispered and Baekhyun felt a tear dripping down his cheek.  
“I’m sorry…” he muttered wiping it away immediately and his mother shook her head.  
“It’s fine, Baekhyunnie. You went through a lot before arriving here, take your time” she added gently, smiling even sweetly, and he forced a small smile too.  
“Thank you” he added and Baekbom sat up to go and hug him.  
They hugged in silence for a while and then their mother chuckled.  
“I hope we will be able to meet this lucky boy one day” she added and Baekhyun blushed to his ear at the idea of inviting Chanyeol to meet his parents.  
“Maybe?” he wondered making all chuckle and he smiled softy too.  
It took a while but maybe he was really on the right path.  
Even if he still missed the most important part.

  
On the fifth of August, Baekhyun drove his car, not a Hyundai i10 anymore until Astronomy Department.  
He evolved it to a Hyundai i30, more spacious and with more power.  
Baekhyun drove there almost in autopilot, knowing the street there to heart.  
He exited and smoked leaning at the side of the car, as he always did even if everything else was different.  
Apart from the car, Baekhyun wasn’t wearing teared jeans and messy shirts anymore.  
He had a pair of black jeans and a white shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows.  
His hair remained of its natural color, a light brown almost auburn.  
Baekhyun didn’t write anything to Chanyeol but, as per previous experience, lunch time was always at the same time and cafeteria was still on the other side of the street.  
He was waiting, smoking, when he received a call from Junmyeon regarding some details on their next race and Baekhyun was explaining him when he saw Chanyeol exiting from the front door.  
“I have to call you back, Myeon” he whispered to the phone, hanging up.  
Chanyeol recognized him too, walking slowly to where he was standing.  
Chanyeol was wearing dark blue jeans and a white t-shirt with a logo on the right that Baekhyun didn’t see well.  
Fluffy hair and glasses were still in the same places, making Baekhyun smile softly.  
He missed him so much.  
“Baekhyun?” Chanyeol asked him uncertain and Baekhyun chuckled, pressing the butt of the cigarette in his small ashtray that immediately disappeared in his pocket.  
“The one and only” he replied, soft smirk appearing on his lips and even before he could register the movement, Chanyeol was hugging him.  
The warmth and the perfume were so nostalgic and familiar that Baekhyun could have hugged him all day straight.  
“You could have, I don’t know, called me, telling me you were here?” he whispered near his ear and Baekhyun caressed his back gently, snuggling his nose in Chanyeol’s neck.  
“And ruining you the surprise? Never” he replied making Chanyeol chuckle softly.  
“I missed you so much, Baekhyun” he muttered and Baekhyun nodded shortly, hugging him even tighter.  
“Missed you too, Chanyeol. You don’t know how much” he concluded, caressing his cheek softly and he wanted to kiss him so bad, but it wasn’t the right place.  
Maybe Chanyeol preferred to keep secret the fact that he was seeing a man or…  
Before Baekhyun could form other thoughts, Chanyeol leant in pressing his lips on Baekhyun’s, kissing him softly.  
Baekhyun hummed in the kiss, fingers carding in Chanyeol’s hair and pulling him down in order to kiss him better.  
They kissed in silence, softly, sweetly, exactly like they didn’t see each other in months.  
“Do you…?” Baekhyun started but Chanyeol stopped him immediately.  
“Let’s go somewhere” he whispered and Baekhyun smiled softly, unlocking the car and gesturing him to seat on the passenger seat.  
“Woah, this car is… huge compared to the previous one” Chanyeol stated when he put his backpack on the back seats before sitting at Baekhyun’s side.  
Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“My sponsor gifted it to me so I changed the i10” he replied and Chanyeol frowned briefly.  
“Your… sponsor?” he echoed and Baekhyun chuckled, nodding.  
“There’s few things I need to update you on” he whispered and Chanyeol nodded too.  
There was a small silence and Baekhyun smiled at him.  
“Lunch together?” he proposed and Chanyeol agreed.  
And it was better for him to agree, because Baekhyun didn’t simply plan to go and pick him up.  
He planned also a restaurant near the harbor.  
On a veranda.  
On the ocean.  
Nothing too fancy because he didn’t like too elegant and classy things, but something special for the moment.  
Along the way, Baekhyun told him about the news in his life.  
“I’m… racing professionally now” he started saying and Chanyeol frowned perplexed.  
“Professionally like… Agonistically?” he asked back marveled and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“Not with the Skyline, obviously, but yes. One day I’ll show her to you” he added and Chanyeol opened in a big smile.  
“That’s like… your dream” he whispered happily and Baekhyun could confidentially say that yes, he loved it.  
“Yeah, took a while becoming friend with the mechanical team, especially the chief, but they are good people” he stated, chuckling shortly, and Chanyeol was enthusiast.  
“But tell me about you, I don’t want to speak just about me” he added glancing toward Chanyeol and Chanyeol blushed softly.  
“I… studied as per usual. And got to be hired next September as researcher in the Department. My teacher wrote a nice letter of recommendation for me” he whispered and Baekhyun’s eyes went larger in surprise.  
“Ah, I’m so proud of my baby” he commented, putting an head to his heart, and he really was proud, even if he receive a playful slap from Chanyeol.  
“Baekhyun!” he exclaimed and Baekhyun chuckled, softly smiling at him.  
“You don’t want me to call you like this?” he asked briefly, glancing toward him before staring back at the street.  
And Chanyeol was blushing with a nice shade of red.  
“Stop teasing me” he replied and Baekhyun nodded shortly, finally parking in the parking lot of the restaurant.  
“You still drive like usual, though” Chanyeol commented exiting the car and Baekhyun laughed shortly.  
“What did you expect? They can’t slow me down. I was respecting laws and signals though” he retorted and Chanyeol chuckled too, shaking his head before stopping in front of the restaurant.  
Baekhyun discovered it because he went to a meeting with a sponsor, but he really like that place.  
Ran by a local family, it was an airy and light restaurant with a lot of windows and a beautiful terrace.  
The ideal place for eating outside in a sunny day of summer.  
“Ah, Mr. Byun, welcome” a waiter greeted him from the entrance and Baekhyun waived shortly.  
“Let’s go?” he asked Chanyeol that nodded briefly, more perplexed than before.  
They followed the waiter that accompany them outside, on the terrace, where they can see the sea.  
“Baekhyun, it’s… beautiful” Chanyeol whispered and his eyes were sparkling brightly.  
“I’m glad you like it” Baekhyun replied, smile never leaving his lips, sitting down and taking the menu.  
Chanyeol sat in front of him, reading the menu too and humming while choosing.  
“You already came here?” Chanyeol asked and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“Any suggestion?” he inquired again making Baekhyun frown in thought.  
Chanyeol’s stare went from the menu to Baekhyun and stopped there.  
“Maybe, some grilled meat? It’s really good here…” Baekhyun started raising his stare too and he was perplexed to meet Chanyeol’s.  
“Do… Do I have something on my face?” he asked him but Chanyeol’s smile widened opening in something even more brilliant.  
“You are beautiful” he stated out of the blue and Baekhyun blushed, stare shifting away in embarrassment.  
“Thank you?” he whispered soft smile appearing on his lips too and Chanyeol’s stare moved back on the menu too, blushing.  
“So… Grilled meat?” he asked again and Baekhyun hummed softly in reply.  
They ordered and Chanyeol didn’t stop for a second asking him whatever happened in those five months.  
“So you are still doing hapkido?” he asked him and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“Only legally and teaching in the gym, though. No more tournaments no more other things” he replied briefly, shaking his head, while eating what he ordered.  
They both choose meat after all, even if different in kind.  
“I… asked hyung and Jondae about you” Chanyeol whispered and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“I imagined. They are the only linking point between our friends” he stated and Chanyeol nodded.  
“But they didn’t tell me much, actually” he added slightly disappointed and Baekhyun chuckled softly in reply.  
“I know. I didn’t tell them anything after all. Hyung helped me getting some interviews but later I didn’t tell him much more. And they knew about me going professional because hyung loves to follow racing on television” he explained and Chanyeol’s eyes went wider in surprise.  
“On television?” he echoed and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“It’s not very followed as sport but there’s some channel that broadcast the races, yes” he commented like it was the most obvious thing in the world, but Chanyeol was super excited about it.  
“Really? I have to check the past races!” he stated happily munching on his meat and Baekhyun blushed again shaking his head, but small smile appearing again on his lips.  
“I can bring you with me if you want. On some test races?” he added and Chanyeol smiled widely.  
“It will be like on the Skyline?” he asked him excited and Baekhyun smirked shortly.  
“Even better” he replied and Chanyeol’s eyes shone even brighter.  
“I can’t believe that the first time you sat on my Skyline you were afraid and now, look at you” Baekhyun observed chuckling but Chanyeol hummed shortly, finishing his meat and drink a glass of water.  
“Whose fault do you think it is?” he asked back and Baekhyun smiled briefly.  
“Sure, sure…” he stated, finishing his lunch too.  
“Dessert?” Baekhyun asked him after the waiter retrieved the empty dishes and Chanyeol chuckled.  
“You are spoiling me, Baekhyun” he replied and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“Just for a dessert?” he observed softly, fondly, but Chanyeol sighed shortly.  
“It’s not only the dessert. It’s… everything” he whispered, stare shifting away and Baekhyun caressed his hand on the table.  
“Just to be someone you deserve” he stated and Chanyeol inhaled shortly clearly wanting to speak up.  
“Don’t.” Baekhyun stopped him while he was trying to say something.  
“I did it happily, Chanyeol. Because I love you and I want to live with you peacefully” he whispered softly, slightly gripping on his hand again.  
“You are… everything I’ve always wanted” he added before sighing softly.  
There was another surprise that Baekhyun prepared for Chanyeol and he thought on giving to him later, after the dessert or something like that.  
But that was the best moment, maybe?  
He felt his pocket shortly, pulling out a deep blue velvety box.  
Chanyeol’s eyes went wider in surprise, seeing the small item and Baekhyun inhaled deeply before speaking again.  
“I still think I’m far from becoming a man suitable for you, but I love you oh so much. And I still don’t know shit about constellations, but this is the token of my love for you” he explained opening it and revealing its content to Chanyeol that took it unbelieving.  
It was a small golden ring, with carved a small reproduction of Sagittarius constellation.  
Inside a small incision with that day date and a short sentence: You shine like the stars.  
Chanyeol’s stare went from the small item to Baekhyun and Baekhyun could clearly see Chanyeol’s eyes watering.  
“I… Baekhyun, I…” he started saying and Baekhyun forced a small smile.  
“I want you to come live with me. Whenever you are ready, whenever you find it comfortable for you. I want this relationship to last forever” he whispered and Chanyeol took off his glasses, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.  
“Aren’t you hasting things too much?” Chanyeol chuckled and Baekhyun sighed deeply.  
“My brother thinks so too, but I’m sure about it. About us” he stated and Chanyeol’s stare was immediately on Baekhyun who smiled softly again.  
There was a small silence and Baekhyun sighed shortly again.  
“You can… take all the time you need. I don’t want to force anything on you and…” he started ranting and maybe Baekbom was right and it was better to wait because after all, what they had was mainly a physical relationship and what if Chanyeol wasn’t up to go live with him or if in those five months things changed for him?  
Baekhyun felt a bit of anxiety coming up to him, clenching at his stomach and, yeah, Chanyeol was right and he was rushing things.  
“And, nothing. Just give it a thought if you don’t mind” he concluded, shifting his stare away, feeling the weight of what happened deeply on his heart.  
“Baekhyun…” Chanyeol called him and Baekhyun forced another smile.  
“Really, I’m sorry. It was too early…” Baekhyun started again but Chanyeol leant in, kissing him softly, shutting him up.  
“Just tell me when” Chanyeol whispered at a centimeter from Baekhyun’s lips and Baekhyun’s eyes went wider in surprise.  
“What about hasting things?” Baekhyun asked briefly and Chanyeol chuckled kissing him again before distancing himself again to stare at Baekhyun in the eyes.  
“I’m sure about my feelings for you Baekhyun. Now, in six months, one year. It doesn’t matter… I love you like in ten, twenty years, my whole life” he whispered and Baekhyun smiled, sighing in relief.  
“By the way, the constellation is correct. How did you know I’m Sagittarius?” he asked him finally taking the ring and putting it on, amazed that the size fitted, and Baekhyun chuckled opening in a shy smile.  
“I asked a loyal private investigator?” he replied remaining on the mysterious, but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“Dae?” he asked him and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“Such a friend! I don’t even know when it’s your birthday” he whispered back and Baekhyun hummed shortly.  
“Sixth of May” he replied briefly and Chanyeol brightened up nodding frantically, like it should mean something.  
Baekhyun frowned softly and Chanyeol explained him.  
“You are Taurus then, right?” he asked him and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“I suppose, yeah” he replied uncertain and Chanyeol nodded again convinced.  
“Our signs have a good compatibility” he added happily and Baekhyun chuckled, shaking his head.  
“I didn’t know you were a fan of horoscope” Baekhyun whispered softly but find it cute, and Chanyeol hummed shortly in thought.  
“You know being interested in constellation, I also come across with horoscope of different typologies. So I suppose, yes, I love them” he replied honestly and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
There was a small silence and then Baekhyun smiled softly.  
“So…” he started and Chanyeol smiled back.  
“So…” he continued and Baekhyun took his hand, squeezing it gently.  
“Are you really fine in moving in with me?” he asked him and Chanyeol nodded without thinking twice.  
“I don’t have much things in my dorm room so…” he replied softly and Baekhyun nodded briefly.  
“Also next weekend if you are not…” Baekhyun started trying to find the right words but Chanyeol gripped his hands briefly.  
“It will be perfect” he replied and Baekhyun opened in another smile.  
They chatted a short while and then Baekhyun paid for the lunch.  
They walked toward the car parking and Baekhyun sighed shortly.  
“Are you… up to something this afternoon?” he asked toward Chanyeol and he hummed shaking his head.  
“Not at all. Bring me somewhere, everywhere” he added and Baekhyun smiled widely.  
“Everywhere? Like literally everywhere?” he inquired amused and Chanyeol chuckled softly, shaking his head.  
“Tomorrow I don’t have any lesson until the middle afternoon? So…” he added making Baekhyun bit his lips shortly.  
“Until Gyeongju and back?” Baekhyun proposed him and Chanyeol smiled softly, nodding briefly.  
“Bring me there” he concluded and Baekhyun gestured toward the car.  
“Let’s go” he whispered, sitting in the car and starting the engine when they were ready.

  
Their trip in Gyeongju was blessed with nice weather and nightly open at the observatory.  
Chanyeol pulled him again around the village and after they went to the observatory, Baekhyun booked a room in the same inn they went the first time.  
And the old woman remembered about them.  
“This time along we have a twin room if…” she started but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“A double bed will be fine, thank you” they replied in unison and the old woman chuckled briefly, nodding.  
Baekhyun paid for the room and they went upstairs.  
“She remembered about us” Chanyeol whispered and Baekhyun chuckled, carding his fingers through his hair before looking around if there was an hanger to put his jacket.  
“Do you want to decide…” Baekhyun started softly, turning to put it on the back of the chair, but Chanyeol surprised him, with a back hug, squeezing him tight in his arms.  
“I missed you” he whispered in his ear, snuggling his nose in Baekhyun’s hair.  
“I missed you too, Chanyeol” he retorted, caressing his hands and sighing softly.  
Chanyeol hummed shortly, starting to kiss the back of his neck, making Baekhyun shiver.  
“And I missed touching you” he added in a whisper and Baekhyun bit his lips shortly.  
He turned around, hands caressing Chanyeol’s neck, pulling him down shortly, kissing him slowly, gently.  
“Can the dinner wait until later?” Chanyeol asked him in between the kisses and Baekhyun chuckled softly.  
“Aren’t you impatient?” he retorted softly, lips moving along Chanyeol’s chin and going down to his neck.  
Chanyeol carded his fingers in Baekhyun’s hair, pulling him near.  
“Not that you help me… You are teasing so much” he whispered and Baekhyun bit his neck, sucking a hickey.  
“Do you want me to stop?” he asked him but Chanyeol shook his head immediately.  
“I waited five months for this moment so, no I don’t want you to stop” he replied honesty and want sipping through his words and Baekhyun nodded, gently pushing him on the bed.  
“Sure? Because I let you know that I’m not equipped as I was before. I don’t have nor lube nor condoms with me” he whispered kissing him softly on the neck, caressing his sides and Chanyeol sighed.  
“And here I thought that I got one good habits from you” he whispered making Baekhyun frown shortly.  
“There’s something you want to tell me?” he asked him, worried but Chanyeol chuckled shaking his head.  
“I was just really trusty that you would have come today. And hoped to have a bit of time together… even if I didn’t imagine, this much” he replied explaining briefly and Baekhyun smiled softly.  
“Who would have said that it would come a day when I would have asked you for condom” Baekhyun asked him making Chanyeol chuckle and pull out his wallet from where he extracted a condom and the lube mono dose.  
“Even same brand, I’m flattered” Baekhyun added, smiling, and he really was because Chanyeol thought at him while buying them and it was… cute?  
“I was sure on the results” he stated in a soft whisper and Baekhyun nodded shortly before leaning in again and starting to kiss and bite Chanyeol’s neck again.  
“Usually I hate summer, but right now I can’t complain” he whispered at Chanyeol’s ear, introducing a hand under Chanyeol’s t-shirt and getting direct contact with his skin.  
Chanyeol was still so warm and sensitive under his touch and Baekhyun couldn’t believe that they really had all the time and he didn’t need to fret things nor to wondering why Chanyeol was having sex with him.  
He knew that it was because Chanyeol loved him as much as Baekhyun loved him back.  
His hands easily found their way up to Chanyeol’s nipples, gently pulling and teasing them.  
Chanyeol moaned under him, hands moving to unbutton Baekhyun’s shirt.  
“Let me touch you too” Chanyeol whispered, fidgeting with the buttons and Baekhyun hummed softly, helping him unbuttoning it.  
He took it off throwing it on the chair near the jacket.  
“You are stunning as usual” Chanyeol muttered him, caressing Baekhyun’s sides, fingers tracing the profile of his ribs, his pectorals and of his arms.  
Baekhyun hummed in contentment feeling Chanyeol’s fingers on him, before pulling out his t-shirt.  
“And you are so gorgeous, so beautiful…” Baekhyun started, leaning in again and kissing his neck sucking hickeys apparently in no order but with a precise idea on mind.  
On his neck, descending near his nipples, that teased briefly with his tongue while he was there, feeling Chanyeol trembling under him, shivering in pleasure.  
And then down again on his abdomen finally reaching his hipbones.  
Once there, he unzipped Chanyeol’s jeans, pulling them down together with his boxer, revealing Chanyeol’s erection already hard and leaking precum.  
Baekhyun’s own erection twitched too, requesting attention at the only sight of Chanyeol’s perfection and already hard shaft.  
“Aren’t you over dressed?” Chanyeol pointed out softly, caressing his cheeks and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“A bit, yeah” he replied sitting up and taking off his jeans and boxer that ended up on the chair with the rest.  
He leant in and slowly licked Chanyeol’s erection who groaned at the sudden hot wetness.  
“Baekhyun…” he whined but Baekhyun licked him again before taking it wholly in his mouth, starting to suck him, leisurely without any haste.  
Chanyeol carded his fingers through Baekhyun’s hair, pulling slightly each time Baekhyun suck him a little bit harder.  
He felt Chanyeol getting thicker in his mouth, quickening his pace, caressing gently his balls and making him moan lower.  
“Baek…” he whispered, shortly thrusting inside Baekhyun’s mouth to find more friction and Baekhyun let him do it, fastening again his pace, Chanyeol’s precum staining his tongue and getting thicker, twitching.  
Baekhyun hummed shortly, letting Chanyeol thrust freely inside his mouth, taking every single centimeters of his length.  
“Baekhyun, pull out, I’m…” Chanyeol whispered but Baekhyun continued sucking him, feeling him come hot in his mouth.  
He swallowed everything, licking Chanyeol clean and raised his stare on Chanyeol who was puffing his cheeks, clearly not happy with something.  
“You didn’t like it?” Baekhyun asked him shortly, cleaning his mouth with the back of his hand before kissing his nose, but sure that that wasn’t the reason.  
“Now it will take a while for…” he started but Baekhyun gently caressed his thighs, softly, barely brushing, skin erupting in goosebumps.  
“For?” he whispered him and Chanyeol gulped shortly, shaking his head briefly.  
“Mind passing me the lube?” he asked him, smiling toward him and Chanyeol chuckled, giving it to him.  
“You are still the same in bed” he added and Baekhyun chuckled too.  
“Hope you don’t mind?” he observed, opening the small thing and pouring some on his fingers, smearing it equally.  
“Mind? You are the only one that can take so good care of me” he whispered and Baekhyun smiled toward him, nearing his fingers to Chanyeol’s entrance.  
“You are so perfect and beautiful, Chanyeol, and it’s my duty to treat you with the utmost care and give you all the pleasure you may need” he muttered in his ears, making him shiver before slowly pushing in his first finger and finding way less resistance than expected.  
Baekhyun bit his lips trying to contain the excitement and how much he wanted Chanyeol in that moment.  
“You are still fingering yourself?” Baekhyun asked him softly, starting to push gently in making Chanyeol groan, moving to meet him and take as much of Baekhyun’s finger as possible.  
“O-Obviously. Thinking about you, every day…” he replied voice low and sensual and Baekhyun kissed softly his neck, pushing another two fingers in, stretching him perfectly, and earning himself another low moan.  
“And what you think about?” Baekhyun inquired thrusting his fingers inside Chanyeol and making him start to move at the same tempo of Baekhyun’s thrusts inside himself.  
Chanyeol moaned again, trying to focus his mind and replying coherently to Baekhyun’s question.  
He was hot and bothered, hair messy, lips parted and red and he removed his glasses putting them somewhere on the bed, revealing the glassiness and the lust in his stare.  
“About how you fill me up. Stretching and brushing in the right places, hitting on my softest spot…” he replied and Baekhyun hummed softly, leaning down and licking again on his nipple, teasing it with his tongue before taking between his lips and softly bite it, making Chanyeol arch his back, moaning louder, and letting Baekhyun hit his prostate, gently, brushing it.  
“Like here?” Baekhyun whispered and Chanyeol bit his lips, nodding.  
“Baekhyun…” he whined, voice getting even lower and more sensual, and his erection was already hard like Baekhyun never touched it before.  
Baekhyun thrusted few times more inside Chanyeol, earning more moans and groans, before Chanyeol gripped slightly on his arm, the one the was fingering him.  
“Please… Stop teasing me and take me already” he whispered and Baekhyun bit his lips nodding shortly.  
He took the condom and opened it with the help of his mouth since one of his hand was still partially inside Chanyeol.  
Baekhyun rolled up the condom on his erection that was leaking precum too and stroke it few times, matching the strokes with his movements inside Chanyeol that moaned lowly again.  
He couldn’t wait anymore.  
He felt too hard and wanted Chanyeol too much.  
Baekhyun pulled off his fingers from Chanyeol, gently, almost immediately replacing them with his erection, pushing it in in a single thrust.  
Chanyeol moaned, hand gripping hard on Baekhyun’s shoulder.  
“Baekhyun” he called softly, trying to contain his voice and Baekhyun breathed deeply.  
“Finally” he whispered, kissing Chanyeol’s temple, his ear, his cheeks and getting to Chanyeol’s lips briefly and sweetly.  
“Tell me when I can move” Baekhyun whispered and Chanyeol nodded.  
“Whenever you want” he replied and Baekhyun nodded shortly, starting to move inside him, slowly, unhurriedly, enjoying Chanyeol’s tightness and warmth.  
“You fill me up so well, Baekhyun” Chanyeol sighed, taking everything of him, caressing Baekhyun’s cheeks and attracting his stare, making him smile softly.  
“And you take me so well” he muttered leaning in again and kissing his lips before moving to his neck, placing fluttering kisses everywhere, starting to thrust quicker inside Chanyeol, filling the rooms of moans and pants.  
Baekhyun felt like heaven in that moment, having Chanyeol so sweaty and so hot under him.  
He moved his hand to caress Chanyeol’s side, slightly gripping it, thrusting harder inside him and with the other hand he started to tease again Chanyeol’s nipples, making him moan and arch his back, meeting better Baekhyun’s thrusts inside him.  
Baekhyun shifted his thrust angle, hitting Chanyeol’s prostate again and feeling Chanyeol’s hands gripping on his back, probably marking it.  
“Is here fine, baby?” he whispered continuing to thrust, setting a steady pace and Chanyeol nodded, moaning.  
“Yes, please” he groaned, gripping again on Baekhyun’s back, squeezing him tighter inside him and Baekhyun felt like he was about to explode.  
And he wanted to stroke Chanyeol’s erection but Chanyeol shook softly his head.  
“Don’t slow down, please” he moaned him and Baekhyun compiled immediately, thrusting faster and feeling Chanyeol came between them in few more thrusts, squeezing him even better inside himself and making Baekhyun come too, whispering a sequence of I love yous in Chanyeol’s ear.  
They inhaled deeply, panting, and trying to regain their own breaths.  
“I love you” Chanyeol breathed and Baekhyun nodded.  
“Until the moon and back” he replied making Chanyeol chuckle, caressing his cheek and pulling him down for a kiss.  
And he wanted to add something more, but Chanyeol’s stomach growled in protest, requiring food.  
Baekhyun smiled gently, kissing Chanyeol’s forehead.  
“Won’t we shower and then go somewhere to eat?” he proposed him softly and Chanyeol nodded, smiling back.  
Baekhyun exited him as slower as possible and helped Chanyeol sitting up, pulling him toward the shower.  
They showered quickly and only once outside Chanyeol frowned seeing his reflection on the big mirror in the bathroom.  
“It’s…” he whispered seeing the hickeys that Baekhyun left around his neck and down his torso.  
Baekhyun chuckled softly, exiting the bathroom to go and dress but Chanyeol surprised him with another back hug.  
“It’s Cassiopeia” he whispered softly and Baekhyun nodded, caressing his hair that were still wet.  
“It’s so sweet” Chanyeol whined and Baekhyun felt the blush creeping up to his cheeks.  
“Go dry your hair before you catch a cold” he scolded him but Chanyeol kissed him softly on his neck before going to dry his hair.  
Baekhyun smiled while dressing and… what more could have he asked from his life?

  
As previewed, they transferred together that very next weekend.  
Chanyeol really had nothing more than few boxes of things and Baekhyun promised himself to buy him whatever he wanted to.  
Every day’s life with Chanyeol was a miracle.  
Always filled with warmth and light and Baekhyun couldn’t believe that he lived in the same apartment from before.  
There always was food, laughter, comfy clothes and fluffy feelings.  
Even in darker days they fixed everything talking and even if they had some initial difficulties adapting to each other’s lives, they managed pretty well.  
Baekhyun decided to introduce him to his family after few months and his mother was as sweet as she could be, probably falling in love a bit too with Chanyeol.  
Because how people could not love Chanyeol?  
Also Chanyeol introduce Baekhyun to his parents and, even if Baekhyun feared that moment more than every race he ever raced before, everything went smoothly.  
And Baekhyun asked him to accompany him to one of the evening test races, introducing him to Junmyeon and his technicians.  
But most importantly, he introduced Cloud9 to him.  
Chanyeol was fascinated by it, even if he would have preferred it azure or light blue instead of black with sponsors’ logos.  
“Wanna try it?” Baekhyun asked him and Chanyeol nodded, sitting once again at the passenger seat of Baekhyun’s car.  
“You know the rules, right?” Baekhyun asked him, smirking and Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
“I won’t tell you to slow down. I won’t mess up your… tempo, do you say like this?” Chanyeol tried chuckling and Baekhyun turned on the engine, shaking his head.  
“I don’t know where you heard the last thing because I’ve never told it…? But yeah, the idea is that one” Baekhyun commented, gripping harder on the gearshift and turning toward Chanyeol.  
Chanyeol smiled widely at him before softly kiss his cheek.  
“Well, show me your best, baby” Chanyeol stated and Baekhyun chuckled, driving off the box toward the tracks and he never felt as happy as that moment.  
There was him, Chanyeol, a track and a starry sky.  
He didn’t need anything more.


End file.
